Farmer bags 15 yrs for killing man over N200

A High Court in Maiduguri yesterday sentenced a 30 year-old farmer, Awuza of Mallam Zari village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State for killing another farmer, Bulama Mustapha, over N200.
In his confessional statement, which was tendered by the police, the accused claimed that he and Mustapha, the deceased, had an agreement that the deceased was to clear his farm land at the cost of N350.00 and that the accused gave him an advance of N200,saying the balance of N150.00 would be paid after the work was completed.

He said the deceased didn’t clear the farm and that when he confronted the deceased to return the N200.00, he collected as advance, they started arguing.

“I met him (Mustapha) working on the farm of one Kasim along with one Shuruba Abdu and requested for the refund of my money and this led to a physical combat.

He held unto my private part and I brought out a knife and stabbed him on the left part of his chest before running away. I acted in self defence,” the accused statement which was tendered in court read.

Awuza added that he immediately went to the district head of their village, Lawan Biri, who handed him over to the police at the Bama police station. The accused committed the offence in October, 2005 and was charged with culpable homicide, punishable under Section 224 of the Penal Code. Counsel to the accused from Legal Aid Council, Mbotor Elemi, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying the accused only acted in self defence.

After years of litigation, the presiding judge, Justice Paturn Haruna Ngadda, yesterday sentenced the accused to 15 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
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