Mohammed Audu the leader of a six-man gang has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja.
Audu stabbed a Husseini Isa, to death during a land dispute.
The trial judge and Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasir Ajanah, handed down the sentence on Friday in Lokoja upon conviction of the accused in a case of culpable homicide preferred against him.
“The sentence of the court upon you, Mohammed Sani Audu, is that you should be hanged by the neck until you are certified dead or by lethal injection,” Justice Ajanah said.
Earlier in his judgement, the judge stated that the prosecuting team proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore, charged the guilty correctly.
Audu of Kaduna Junction in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi was charged with culpable homicide punishable by death contrary to Section 221(a) of the Penal Code.
According to the prosecution, Audu had taken a six-man gang to a land, which was being disputed by the families of the deceased and one of his gang members, Momoh-Jimoh Abaniki.
The victim upon seeing them was said to have confronted the presence of the gang on the land and objected to its demarcation for the purpose of selling it.
Hussein returned home to tell his brother, Ozovehe Isa, and other family members what happened on the farm.
Thereafter, the accused went to the deceased’s house to challenge him.
Altercations ensued and he was said to have stabbed the deceased and also hacked him in the head with a machete while other members of the gang kicked the deceased, resulting in his death the following day at the hospital.
The accused had told the court, “The five other members (of the gang) and I attacked Osivave and his brother, Hussein, over a land matter between them and one of my gang members, Momoh-Jimoh Abanika (AKA Mopol Team Leader).
“I did not collect money from anybody before I matcheted and killed Hussein Isa and he is the first person I have ever killed. I promise not to involve myself in any criminal act again.”
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