NIGERIA: POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING IN NASARAWA

April 13, 2018:

The High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, presided over by Justice James Abundega sentenced a Police officer, Sergeant Vincent Manu, to death for unlawfully shooting and killing a businessman, Stephen Anakwe, on January 13, 2012, after labeling him as an armed robber.
Manu was arraigned alongside other five officers- Inspectors Danladi Lenkem and Edula Ateku, who died in the process of the trial, Corporals Samson Magga and Musa Audu, as well as Christopher Maikasuwa, on a charge of criminal conspiracy to kill the deceased while they were on patrol duty.
Justice Abundega found Manu, who carried out the shooting, guilty of murder, saying the prosecution was able to prove by cogent circumstantial evidence that the convict intentionally killed the deceased.
In his judgment, the Judge rejected the defendant’s plea of self-defence, adding that based on the evidence before him, the plea of self-defence was not plausible and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said the offence contravened Section 220 and punishable under Section 221 of the Penal Code. He, however, absolved the other police officers mentioned above of any wrongdoing, discharged and acquitted them.