
A Niger State High Court in Minna has sentenced 32-year-old Abubakar Muhammad Buba to life imprisonment for the murder of his father, Alhaji Mohammed Buba.
Justice Mohammed S.A. Mohammed delivered the judgment, stating that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the convict was guilty of culpable homicide under Section 224 of the Penal Code. However, the court noted that the lesser charge filed by the state precluded a death sentence.
The case, which began on October 9, 2023, detailed chilling events leading to the father’s death. Abubakar was arrested in the Korokpan area of Chanchaga village after he attempted to claim proceeds from the sale of his late father’s land.
According to the prosecution, Abubakar fatally stabbed his father, dismembered his body, and disposed of it near Tagwai Dam. He then concocted a story that his father had been kidnapped, contacting the deceased’s friends, including Hon. Mohammed S.D. Mambo, Chairman of the Nigerian Miners Association in Niger State, to demand ransom money.
The convict further claimed that the alleged kidnappers had released his father in poor health after forcing him to drink acid. He insisted the victim required urgent surgery at Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital in Abuja. However, investigations revealed the kidnapping story was fabricated, and the father was neither admitted to any hospital nor alive.
The police launched an investigation following a complaint from the father’s friends, leading to Abubakar’s arrest and prosecution.
During the trial, six witnesses testified, including Inspector Victor Jiya and Hon. Mambo. Justice Mohammed, in a judgment session lasting two hours, emphasized the overwhelming circumstantial evidence against Abubakar.
“I hold that the convict was the last person seen with the deceased and has not provided satisfactory explanations to the court. The elements of culpable homicide punishable by death have been established beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge stated.
However, he noted that the prosecution opted for a lesser charge, limiting the court’s ability to impose a harsher sentence.
Abubakar Muhammad Buba will serve life imprisonment for the heinous crime, marking the conclusion of a case that has drawn significant attention in Niger State.
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