A man, Tunde Tayo, who beheaded a commercial motorcycle rider, Abdullahi Chali Yahaya of Angwan Rahama, Bosso Low Cost Housing and buried his corpse in a shallow grave has been sentenced to death by hanging for the alleged murder in Niger State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Niger State High Court sitting in Miinna, presided by Justice Mohammed Mohammed Adishetu, who handed down the death sentence on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, in a judgement delivered for over two hours.
The convict, Tayo, was found guilty on two count charges of armed robbery and culpable homicide, punishable under Sections 298 and 221 of the Penal Code of Niger State, 1989.
The Police arrested the convict, Tayo, from Angwan Roka, Maitumbi in Minna after he and his friends, now at large cut off the head of the deceased and buried the body in a shallow grave inside an uncompleted building in Maitumbi area of Minna on 13th September, 2019.
Tayo was arraigned by Jude Thaddeus Akaeze, head of the Legal Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) of the Niger State Police Command.
The charge read: “Tayo, of Angwan Roka, Maitumbi in Minna, Niger State, on 13th September 2019 at New FM area Minna, within the jurisdiction of this Court, did commit robbery; conspired with others at large, while armed with dangerous weapons, lured and robbed one Abdullahi Chali Yahaya (now late) of Angwan Rahama, Bosso Low Cost, of his Bajaj motorcycle, valued at N215,000 and later killed him”.
Reviewing the case, Justice Mohammed Mohammed held that the circumstantial evidence against the accused by the prosecutor was strong, cogent and direct.
According to the Judge, the convict admitted in his statement to the Police that he owned the uncompleted building, adding that, “Although he denied killing the deceased, circumstantial evidence established that he was last seen with the deceased and that he committed the crime”.
“On the charge of robbery in Section 298 of penal code, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the second count charge of culpable homicide under Section 221 of the penal code law, you, Tunde Tayo, is hereby convicted and sentenced to death by hanging until you die. May Almighty God have mercy on your soul,” Justice Mohammed stated.