An Adamawa High Court sitting in Yola has sentenced one Festus Stephen, to death by hanging for killing his friend, Mohammed Sani, over a N30,000 debt.
Justice Bulila Ikharo convicted Festus after having established that he killed Mohammed Sani, aka Jega, during an argument over the N30,000 that he was being owed.
The prosecutor told the court that the convict, who is of Sabon Pegi bye-pass in Yola town, Yola South LGA, engaged Jega in a fight on the 19th October 2018, at Sabon Pegi, ultimately ending his life by hitting him several times.
It was gathered that Festus gave his friend a loan but Jega could not pay it back as at when due.
The two mates were in a room on the day of the unfortunate incident when Festus demanded his money, but Jega told him he would pay it back the following week.
The exchange of words, however, degenerated to the point when both, said to be under the influence of codeine and Indian hemp, began to look for weapons for a fight.
Jega attempted to pick a knife under the bed to stab Festus, but Festus was quicker in fetching a cutlass, with which he hit Jega twice in the head. He fell down in his pool of blood and died.
Festus then picked up a packet of cigarettes, locked the door and fled to Mubi, in northern Adamawa, where he allegedly committed another murder and is currently standing another trial for alleged culpable homicide before a different judge.
Justice Ikharo sentenced the defendant after being tried and found guilty of the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 192 (2) of the penal code law.
“It is very clear that the defendant had the intention of killing the deceased. He used a cutlass and stabbed the deceased twice in the head, a very vital part of the body. As if that was not enough, he locked him up in the room in his pool of blood and left.
“On the whole, I hereby find and hold that the prosecution has proved its case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt, and I convict the defendant as charged,” the judge held.
