{{In Nigeria, the Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced one Mallam Usman Sule to death by hanging over the murder of his neighbour, Mallam Mohammed Sheu.}}
The heinous crime was committed in Aramoko Ekiti in Ekiti West Council Area of Ekiti State about a year ago.
Both Sule and the deceased, Mohammed are from Sokoto State in the Northwest part of the Northern Nigeria.
The trial Judge, Justice John Adeyeye found the accused person guilty of murder and conspiracy based on the avalanche of evidence presented before him by the prosecuting Counsel, Mr Olufemi Alabi, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecution in the Ekiti State Judiciary.
Justice Adeyeye averred that the evidence given by their co-neighbour during cross examination by the Counsel to the defendant, Mrs A.T. Baderinwa of the Legal Aid Council was enough to indicate that the convict actually committed the crime.
Baderinwa had argued during the trial that Sule did not commit the crime, saying only post mortem examination could reveal the true cause of Mohammed’s death.
She prayed the Court to discountenance the evidence of the witnesses, saying they lack scientific proofs and legal validity.
Countering the position canvassed by the Counsel to the defendant, Barr Alabi said Sule had earlier threatened to kill his Sheu the day he died in a mysterious circumstance right in the presence of their co-neighbour, reminding the Court that their co-neighbour had given evidence in this regard.
But in his judgment, the trial Judge said the evidences of the three other witnesses and that of their co-neighbour as presented by the prosecution counsel were overwhelming.
The Judge added that the resistance from the deceased’s family that post mortem examination should not be conducted on him to ascertain
the course of his death, was not enough obstacle to discountenance the evidence of the co-neighbour.
Relying on these evidences, the Judge thereby passed the verdict that the accused person is guilty and that he should die by hanging.
His family had claimed during the trial that it was a taboo to perform such a test on them due to their religious inclination in Sokoto state.
Nguardian
Leave a Reply