The Court of Appeal, Yola Division, on Monday, affirmed the death sentence imposed on three (3) young men for killing a pastor.
Hon. Justice Chidi Nwaoma Uwa, of the appeal court affirmed the lower court's verdict and dismissed the appeal seeking to upturn the judgement of the lower court.
Former High court judge, Hon. Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri, who is now an Appeal Court Judge, convicted and sentenced the young men to death by hanging for killing pastor Hammanjulde Dadon, over royalty.
Those slammed with death sentence include; Godwin Obidah, 25, Thomas Bitrus,27, and Hananiya Ezra, 30, of Tashan Rake village in Yola South Local Government Area.
The convicts, Godwin, an okada rider and father of 3, Thomas, a farmer and Hanani, a labourer were arraigned before the court where they pleaded not guilty to the 2 count charge.
According to the charge, the convicts and one Dahiru Mohammed (still at large) agreed to use criminal force on anyone that did not tow their line regarding the payment of royalty relating to the use of plaster sand in their community.
In furtherance of their common intention and use of criminal force, the young men on the 23rd March, 2017, attacked pastor Hammajulde with sticks and cutlass with the knowledge that death would be the probable consequence of their action.
Likewise, in his confessional statement admitted in evidence, one of the convict, Hananiya Ezra, narrated that Godwin Obidah, had on that fateful day asked him to accompany him to kill pastor Hammajulde, over royalty on the plaster sand.
He stated that he agreed and armed himself with a stick while the 2nd convict(Thomas Bitrus) who had a motorcycle carried the 1st convict (Godwin Obidah) who also armed himself with a stick.
Hananiya, said that he also saw one strange Fulani man, Dahiru Mohammed, who was recruited by Godwin Obidah for the operation armed with a cutlass and trekking towards the scene of the crime.
According to him, on their arrival, they saw the deceased behind a Primary School with a lot of people, and that upon approaching him, Godwin Obidah, hit the man of God with the stick, and then the Fulani man rushed in with his cutlass and matcheted him.
He added that after killing him, they immediately fled the scene, but unknown to them that they were since identified by eyewitnesses including the son of the pastor known as Babangida Hammajulde who later reported the matter to police which led to their arrest.
They were tried by the trial court and convicted after they were found guilty. The judgement of the lower court was affirmed on Monday, by the appellate court in Yola.
While Z. Y. Usman, appeared for the respondent, O. O. Oniyere, appeared for the appellants respectively.
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