AISHA ABUBAKAR
A 43-year old man, Maruf Saraki, will have to die by hanging for killing his friend and dumping the corpse inside an uncompleted building over suspicion of having affairs with his wife in Kontagora Local Government area of Niger State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Niger State High Court sitting in Minna, which convicted Saraki and sentenced him for killing his intimate friend in a gruesome manner.
The convict was said to have alleged that the deceased, identified as one Tasi’u Shitu, was having illicit affairs with his (Maruf) wife, which he claimed was his reason for killing his friend.
The convict, Maruf Saraki, was earlier arraigned on the 21st November, 2021 by Police Detectives at the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department (SCIID) Minna after the convict was arrested by the Police Operatives in Kontagora.
He was said to have stolen the slain Tasi’u Shitu’s ash coloured Honda Accord car, killed him and buried his remains inside an uncompleted building where the convict resides.
The dastardly act got exposed after the sudden disappearance of Tasi’u Shitu from his house for about four days, adding that the deceased was last seen with the suspected assaillant in Kontagora prior to the killing and was later arrested in Sokoto State allegedly in possession of the deceased’s stolen Honda Accord car.
Upon the arrest of Maruf Saraki by Police operatives attached to the Sokoto State Police Command, the case was thereafter transferred to the Niger State Command for further discreet investigation.
The Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Court, where he was tried and found guilty of murder.
The Presiding Judge, Hon.Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed, who pronounced the death sentence on the convict in a judgement delivered for over one hour, said the prosecutor had convinced the Court with all the evidences and the witnesses presented before the Court.
Maruf Saraki was earlier arraigned in Kontagora High Court presided over by Justice Balkisu Gambo Yusuf; on her redeployment to Minna, the case was to continue in Kontagora before Justice Binta Bawa Rijau but the defence Counsel, Barrister Bala Ibrahim Zuru objected to the trial in Kontagora.
While the case was transfered to Minna High Court Number 4, a plea of the convict was taken and trial commenced (denovo), he pleaded not guilty to the one count charge of culpable homicide punishable under section 221 of the penal code which attracts death penalty upon conviction.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed averred that after reviewing the case as presented by the prosecuting counsel and the evidences made available before the Court, it was discovered that Tasi’u was seen last with Maruf Saraki in Kontagora.
Speaking further, the Judge said: “It was a settled fact that the convict was the last person that was seen with the deceased before his disappearance”.
“With the facts and the evidences before this honourable Court, it was a settled fact the convict Maruf Saraki caused the death of the deceased.The convict, in his testimonies claimed that the deceased was having an illicit affair with his wife and he is the person that knows of his robbery case in Sokoto.”
“The question here is, can this amount to any provocation that will warrant the killing of his friend Tasi’u Shitu? In all, the convict intentionally killed the deceased”.
“With the available evidences and the testimonies of the convict, there is no doubt that the prosecuting counsel was able to prove the case of culpable homicide against the convict and you Maruf Saraki is hereby convicted and sentenced to death by hanging.”
“And you Maruf Saraki you are sentenced to death by hanging on the neck until you are dead.” Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed further stated.