[Mhiz Rebecca]

A Katsina State High Court sitting in Funtua on Thursday
sentenced Mu’ammar Tukur, son of former District Head
of Bakori, to death by hanging for culpable homicide.
Mr. Tukur, 32, whose late father represented Bakori/Danja Federal Constituency at Federal House of Representatives, was convicted for stabbing Shafir Muktar to death.
In his judgment, Justice Abbas Bawale said the
prosecution led by Aminu Garba had established the case
of culpable homicide against the convict beyond
reasonable doubt.
Mr. Bawale said the prosecution called five witnesses and
tendered four exhibits which established the three
needed ingredients, including death of the victim, cause
of the death and intention of the action.
He said the incident occurred on April 21, 2008 during a
fight between the convict and some of the prosecution
witnesses at viewing centre.
The judge said the defence counsel, AbdulAziz Olagoke’s
effort to contradict the evidence of the prosecution was
futile.
He said the defence’s argument that the prosecution did
not tender the metallic material used in committing the
offence could not be sustained.
The judge said the convict ran away between 2008 and
2013 and was arrested at the graveyard during the
funeral of his deceased mother.
Mr. Bawale held that the convict’s reliance on
provocation was not material because he left the scene
and came with the metallic instrument to perpetrate the
act.
He said the prosecution had proved the case beyond
reasonable doubt as required by law and sentenced the
convict to death by hanging.
The judge also said the plea for leniency could not be
entertained because the court’s discretion was blocked by
law and directed that the plea should be set to the state
governor.