AISHA ABUBAKAR
Two armed robbers have been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Buhari Imam, a lecturer at Northwest University, Kano State, during a robbery incident in 2016.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Kano State High Court, which convicted Aliyu Hussaini of Sheka Sabuwar Abuja Quarters and Amir Zakariyya of Unguwar Malam Quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of the State.
They were found guilty on three counts of conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide under the Criminal Law of the State and sentenced accordingly.
The presiding judge, Justice Fatima Adamu, held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing the defendants’ actions as showing “total disregard for human life.
She sentenced the convicts to five years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years for robbery, and death by hanging for culpable homicide.
“May God have mercy on them,” the judge added while pronouncing the verdict.
The Prosecution counsel, Lamido Sorondinki, told the court that the offences were committed on June 11, 2016, when the defendants conspired, armed themselves with knives and machetes, and attacked the lecturer at his residence in Sheka Sabuwar Abuja Quarters.
They reportedly robbed him of his mobile phone before stabbing him multiple times in the stomach, thigh, and back, leading to his death.
The prosecution presented three witnesses, as well as medical reports and photographs of the deceased. The court found the evidence credible and sufficient to link the defendants to the crime. Despite denying the charges, both men were convicted after the court ruled that their guilt had been firmly established in line with Sections 97(1), 298(c), and 221(a) of the Penal Code Laws of Kano State.
Before sentencing, defence counsel, Haruna Zakariyya, pleaded for leniency on behalf of the convicts, but the judge maintained that the gravity of the offence warranted the maximum punishment.