A Yola High Court in Adamawa State has sentenced Habu Badaru and Auwal Lawan to death by hanging for culpable homicide.
The convicts, a drug hawker and a labourer, were sentenced by Justice Kaynson Lawanson on Tuesday. Both Habu, a resident of Askira Uba, and Lawan, from Uba Hildi, were tried and found guilty of the offenses.
Pronouncing the sentence, Justice Lawanson stated, “The sentence of the court upon you is to be hanged by the neck or by lethal injection until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy upon you.”
The prosecution revealed that the convicts conspired and robbed a tricycle operator named Algoni Muhammed, after drugging him with a pentazocine injection at Uba Hildi in Hong Local Government Area of the state.
They then stole the tricycle, which was in the deceased’s care, after killing him and breaking his neck on April 4th, 2022.
The prosecution further explained that the duo administered an overdose of pentazocine injection on Algoni, leading to his death, and subsequently stole his tricycle.
The convicts committed the gruesome murder by breaking Algoni’s neck and dumping his body in a river in Uba Hildi, Hong LGA. They then stole his tricycle to sell it and raise N80,000 to N100,000 for Badaru to settle debts.
On the day of the crime, Habu and Lawan conspired and boarded the deceased’s tricycle to Habu’s house. Upon arrival, they held their victim and injected him with pentazocine before stealing the tricycle.
After killing him and disposing of his body, Habu rode the tricycle to Mubi town to sell it. However, due to a lack of proper documentation, potential buyers refused to purchase it. He then returned to Mararaba Mubi and parked the tricycle.
The next morning, Habu made another attempt to sell the tricycle in Mubi, but again found no buyers. He then contacted a tricycle dealer from Uba to purchase it.
Upon meeting in Mubi, the dealer questioned Habu about how he acquired the tricycle since his known occupation was drug hawking. Unable to provide a convincing answer, the dealer discreetly contacted the Chairman of the Tricycle Sellers Association, who in turn alerted the police. Officers arrived at the scene and apprehended Habu.
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