CITY NEWS Cop jailed 12 years for shooting cashier
We are committed to youth, women empowerment – Kuje boss
An Abuja High Court sitting at Apo has sentenced a police officer, Olotu Owoicho, to 12 years imprisonment for causing the death of one Mrs. Doris Nonye Okere.
Justice Silvanus C. Oriji delivered the judgment on Wednesday about six years after the late Doris was hit by a bullet released from an AK47 rifle held by Owoicho.
Owoicho, a father of four was arraigned on 28 June, 2011 on a two-count charge of culpable homicide punishable with death and also causing grievous hurt by reckless use of firm arm.
The judge found the convict not guilty of culpable homicide, as the prosecution was said to have failed to establish that he intended to cause the death of the deceased.
After listening to the plea of Barrister Noah Imoni, counsel to the accused, urging the court to temper justice with mercy as he had been in prison custody since December 31, 2011 when the incident occurred, the judge sentenced him to 12 years, running retrospectively from 28 June, 2011.
The late Doris, until her death, was a cashier with a bank and was killed while in a taxi on her way to work on January 31 when the convict attached to Zenith Bank, Mpape, shot at the taxi conveying her to work. The Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima, has said his administration will remain committed to youth and women empowerment.
Galadima spoke through the council’s vice chairman, Mr. Samuel Duda, recently while handing over 150 application forms of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) to the speaker of the council for onward distribution to the 10 wards of the council through the councillors.
He noted that despite the economic challenges facing the country, his administration would try its best to ensure that the youth and women were carried along, saying the youth are the bedrock of the society, hence special attention needed to be given to them.
According to him, engaging the youth will go a long way in curbing social vices in the society, adding that giving attention to women will also reduce child abuse.
“I believe that by the time we engage 150 of our youths and women by recruiting them into the Peace Corps of Nigeria, at least, we are able to empower some of them, which will also go a long way in curbing social vices in our society,” the chairman said.
Responding, the speaker of the council lauded the chairman’s exemplary leadership, saying engaging the youths and women through the Peace Corps of Nigeria will help in curbing youth restiveness in the society.
He assured the chairman that he will ensure that eligible youth and woman were given the application forms, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations.