By Ahmed Saka
A Bauchi State High Court sitting in Bauchi has sentenced one Mamuda Zakariyau to death by hanging for killing a commercial motorcyclist during an attempted robbery.
The judgement was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Aliyu Baba Usman of High Court Number Four, who found the defendant guilty of culpable homicide punishable with death.
Justice Aliyu declared: “For the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death, the defendant, Mamuda Zakariyau, is hereby sentenced to death by hanging.”
Zakariyau was arraigned by the Bauchi State Ministry of Justice, led by Yusuf Adamu, on a two-count charge of armed robbery and culpable homicide.
According to the prosecution, Mamuda conspired with one Sadiq, alias Gwaska, who is currently at large. The duo boarded a motorcycle ridden by one Basiru Mohammed and directed him to the Old Airport area of Bauchi, where they stabbed him with a knife and robbed him of his motorcycle.
The prosecution said the victim collapsed from the injuries and later died, an act said to be contrary to Section 217 of the Penal Code Law of Bauchi State and Section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, LFN 2004.
During trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered five exhibits, including a motorcycle, a blood-stained knife, a mobile phone and a pair of shoes.
Counsel to the defendant, Barrister Kayode Omosehin, urged the court to acquit his client, arguing that the confessional statement was involuntarily obtained and that the evidence against the defendant was merely circumstantial with no eyewitnesses.
However, Justice Aliyu Baba Usman held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and accordingly convicted the defendant on both counts.
The court therefore convicted Mamuda Zakariyau for armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable with death.
It would be recalled that the Bauchi State Police Command had earlier arrested Zakariyau after he allegedly stabbed the motorcyclist to death and made away with his red Bajaj Boxer motorcycle.
Police said the victim raised an alarm before collapsing, prompting residents to pursue the suspect, who abandoned the motorcycle and fled. He was later traced and arrested through intelligence gathered from a mobile phone recovered at the scene.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the crime, claiming he acted out of financial frustration, saying he needed money to marry another wife.
Police recovered the motorcycle, a blood-stained knife, a pair of shoes and an Android phone from the suspect.
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