FROM MIJINYAWA BABA-UTHMAN, MINNA
A Minna High Court Number Four has Convicted and sentenced a thirty two years old Abubakar Muhammad Buba,to life imprisonment for killing his biological father
He was arraigned on the 9th of October, 2023 on four count charges which bothered on Criminal misapriopriation and culpable homicide punishable under section 224 and 397 of the penal code law.
Justice Mohammed S.A Mohammed who handed down the judgement declared that the prosecuting counsel has proved the case of the culpable homicide punishable under section 224 of the penal code " not punishable by death against the convict.
Abubakar Buba was arrested by the Police at Korokpa area of Chanchaga village in Niger state, when he came to collect money for the land of his late father, Alhaji Mohammed Buba.
He was alleged to have stabbed, killed cut him in pieces packed him inside a polythene bag and dumped beside Tagwai Dam in Chanchaga.
The convict was alleged have after Killing his father in that dastardly act, he put a called to his late father's friend, one Hon Mohammed SD Mambo who is the Niger State Chairman of Nigerian Minners Association that his father has been kidnapped " and needed money to pay ransom for his release"
At this point, according to the charge sheet obtained in court by this reporter, his father's friends rallied round,to source for money from the sale of the father's landed properties by the convict
He thereafter informed his father's friends that his father has been released by the kidnappers " but sustained serious injury as a result of the acid which was given to him to drink and therefore requires urgent plastic surgery at Gwagwalada specialist Hospital Abuja where he was on admininsion"
Upon the receipt of the information,his father friends who are members of the Miners Association of Nigeria in Niger State again,took over the issue with a view to assisting his father.
" Only for them to discovered that the father of the convict was neither kidnapped not admitted in the hospital for any treatment"
At this point,they promptly move into action by making a complaint to the Nigeria Police which swiftly swung into action and the convict was arrested,investigated and his prosecution..
Based on his plea, according to the prosecuting counsel Barrister Halima Ahmed of the office of the Attorney General called six witnesses to testify.
Among the prosecuting witness Include Inspector Victor Jiya, Hon. Mohammed SD Mambo,Murtala Abdullahi,Usman Yahaya, Yakubu Saidu
Delivering his judgement which lasted for two hours, Justice Mohammed Mohammed, averred that the convict has failed in his duty and the reasonable inference is that the convict and no body else that the deceased.
" I hold that the convict was the last person that was with the deceased and the last person to be seen with him.
" The convict has failed to explain to the satisfaction of the court that somebody else and not him that killed the deceased.
" The circumstancial evidence is very overwhelming and it is resolved against the convict. Issues two and three is also resolved against the convict
" Before I pronounce my sentence against the convict, let me state here that all elements of the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death have been established beyond reasonable doubt against him. However, the state decided to arraign him for a lesser offence for reasons best known to them.
" Unfortunately,despite the unlimited jurisdiction of this court my hands are tight since I can only punish for lesser offence but not more than what was filed before the court. I cannot say more than that."he asserted.
He then Convict and sentenced him for life under section 224 .
