Man to die by hanging in Gombe

A Gombe State High Court sitting in Gombe has sentenced a 25-year-old man to death by hanging for culpable homicide.

The convict, Umar Abubakar, alias Gaso, was arraigned before the court for alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.

Gaso, who is a resident of Gombe Metropolis, was alleged to have conspired with two others, Daddy, alias Kenya, and Bashir, alias Ribery, who are still at large, to kill one Sa’idu Mukhtar.

The court heard that the trio had on April 6, 2014, armed with dangerous weapons, attacked the Mukhtar at the Gombe cattle market, near Dukku Motor Park, resulting to his death.

The accused persons had allegedly inflicted cuts Sa’idu Mukhtar which led to his death on the spot, the court further heard.

The prosecution counsel, Barrister Maryam B. Ahmad, said the offence was contrary to Sections 96 and 221 of the Penal Code.

When the two-count charge was read to the first accused person, Abubakar, who was first arraigned before the court sometime in 2015, he pleaded not guilty.

However, Barrister Maryam presented six witnesses that testified against him and tendered before the court as exhibits, cutlasses and knives that were allegedly used to kill Mukhtar.

The defence counsel, Barrister H.Y. Daddy, crossed examined the witnesses and presented three defence witnesses who included the late Mukhtar’s mother, sister and one other.

In her verdict, the presiding judge, Justice Beatrice Iliya, said the prosecuting counsel had proved her case beyond reasonable doubt and the court found the accused guilty under Section 221 of the Penal Code and that the offence was punishable under Section 222 of the same law.

Justice Beatrice, therefore, sentenced him to death by hanging accordingly.