Saturday 9 July 2016

Killer of Yoruba leader in Kano sentenced to death


Justice Kabiru Auta of a Kano High Court on Wednesday sentenced the killer of a Kano-based business tycoon, philanthropist and Yoruba leader, Alhaji Ganiyu Akanbi Bello to death by hanging.

The accused, Abubakar Abdulrahaman (AKA Daddy, 28) was found guilty on a charge of culpable homicide, punishable with death, while he was discharged and acquitted in another charge of armed robbery.

Abubakar was accused of murdering Alhaji Bello on June 5, 2014 in his residence on the night of the fateful day at the GRA Nassarawa, opposite Kano Race Course when he stabbed the deceased in the heart with a kitchen knife.

The prosecution, led by Barrister M.M. Sulaiman of the State Ministry of Justice and assisted by the nominal complainant Counsel, J.I. Macaulay of Kehinde Olaitan Chamber called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits.

The exhibits included, the knife used by Daddy to stab chief Bello and the Blackberry handset of the deceased, in which he inserted his own Sim card, compelling the court to indict him as part of circumstantial evidence.

Making his last plea (Alocutus) for the accused, his Counsel from the Legal Aid Council, Barrister Adama urged the court to temper justice with mercy because of his aged mother, wife and children.

In his final verdict, the trial judge, said that the accused deserved no mercy, having committed a capital offence by murdering a bread winner like him.
Justice Auta said that the accused showed no remorse throughout the trial, just as he returned a verdict of hanging by the neck for the accused until pronounced dead.

Abubakar broke down in tears after the verdict while his mother collapsed in the open court.

The accused was one-time a staff of the deceased’s hotel.

Justice Auta finally ruled that he has right of appeal within 30 days”.

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