A court in the northeast region of Adamawa State, has convicted and sentenced a 29-year-old farmer, Sunday Jackson, to death for killing a Fulani Herdsman. The farmer, who is from Dong community in Demsa Local Government Area, was sentenced to death by hanging.
Sunday Jackson was tried by Honourable Justice Fatima Ahmed Tafida led High Court for culpable homicide punishable with death, contrary to section 221 of the penal code law.
According to reports, he caused the death o a Fulani herdsman, Buba Ardo Bawuro, by stabbing him with a knife on the neck in a bush in Kodomti community, Numan LGA.
In his extra judicial confessional statement admitted in evidence, Sunday Jackson narrated that while he was working in his farm in a bush in Kodomti, the deceased came and put his cattle in his farm, but when he asked the Fulani herdsman why did he do so, the herdsman did not say anything.
According to him, he pursued the animout of his farm, but the Fulani herdsman brought out his knife and advanced towards him with the knife and that on his part, he had nothing in his hand to defend himself.
Sunday Jackson said that he started running and screaming but no one came to his rescue, saying that as he was running, the herdsman trailed him and stabbed him with the knife at the back of his head.
He added that he then turned back to hit the deceased with his left leg, but he was not lucky as the deceased used the knife and stabbed him on the left leg.
At that point, according to him, he got scared when he discovered that the Fulani herdsman was trying to to stab him again, saying that he held the hand of the deceased, and that as they were struggling, he collected the knife, stabbed him 3 times on his neck and threw away the knife.
According to reports, when Jackson was earlier arraigned, he pleaded not guilty to the offence, and in an effort to establish its case against him, the prosecution called 2 witnesses.
The defence counsel, F. A. Ogbe, told the court that the action of his client was in self-defense, and prayed the court to discharge and acquit the farmer and former student G.D.S.S Zangun in Numan LGA.
On his part, counsel to the prosecution, N. J. Atiku, urged the court to convict the defendant solely on his confessional statement, and based on the fact that the death of human being had actually occurred.
In its verdict on Wednesday, the court presided by Justice Fatima Ahmed Tafida, said that the defendant had confessed to be the one that actually killed the herdsman, and that his confessional statement alone is enough to warrant his conviction.
Justice Fatima held that the defendant having disarmed the deceased, had the opportunity to escape for his life but failed to so do, saying that having considered the evidence (exhibits) tendered and the fact that they were not discredited, the prosecution has proved its case against the defendant and sentenced him to death by hanging.
