A Kano State High Court has sentenced a 25-year-old man, Bara’u Sa’idu, to 20 years imprisonment with hard labour for k!lling his 45-year-old uncle during a dispute over farmland in Jarimawa Village, Bagwai Local Government Area.
Sa’idu, who had pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of culpable homicide, was found guilty by Justice Maryam Sabo after the court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecution, led by Mr. Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, called three witnesses and tendered exhibits, including the judicial statement of the defendant, to establish the case against him.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on August 7, 2021, at about 6:00 a.m. in Jarimawa Village.
Witnesses told the court that the convict struck his uncle, Magaji Yusuf, on the head with a stick during a fight that erupted on a farmland following a misunderstanding.
The altercation reportedly stemmed from a comment by the deceased that his brother had previously used money to secure Sa’idu’s release in a goat theft case in the village.
The prosecution witnesses, including the ward head and the deceased’s wife, testified that the victim sustained severe head injuries, including the loss of one eye, which ultimately led to his death.
The offence, the prosecution said, contravened Section 221 of the Penal Code Law.
In his defence, Sa’idu told the court that he did not intend to kill his uncle, claiming he acted in self-defence.
“I was trying to defend myself; that was why I hit him with a stick,” he said.
Defence counsel, Mr. Dele Olaniyan, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the convict was a first-time offender.
In her judgment, Justice Sabo held that although the act amounted to culpable homicide, it was not punishable with death under Section 222 of the Penal Code but punishable under Section 225 of the same law.
The court subsequently sentenced Sa’idu to 20 years imprisonment with hard labour pursuant to Section 225 of the Penal Code Law for unintentional killing