A man identified as Tunde Tayo, has been handed a death sentence by the Minna High Court 4, over the gruesome murder of a commercial motorcyclist in Niger State.

Presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Mohammed Adishetu, handed the sentence on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, in a judgement delivered for over two hours.

The convict was found guilty on two count charges of armed robbery and culpable homicide, punishable under sections 298 and 221 of the Penal Code of Niger State, 1989.

Tayo, of Angwan Roka, Maitumbi in Minna, and his friends, now at large were accused of cutting off the head of the deceased and burying the body in a shallow grave inside an uncompleted building in Maitumbi area of Minna on 13th of September 2019.

Tayo was arraigned by Jude Thaddeus Akaeze, head of the Legal Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) of the Niger State Police Command.

According to the First Information Report: “Tayo, of Angwan Roka, Maitumbi in Minna, Niger State, on 13th September 2019 at New FM area Minna, within the jurisdiction of this court, did commit robbery; conspired with others at large, while armed with dangerous weapons, lured and robbed one Abdullahi Chali Yahaya (now late) of Angwan Rahama, Bosso Low Cost, of his Bajaj motorcycle, valued at N215,000 and later killed him.”

Reviewing the case, Justice Mohammed Mohammed held that the circumstantial evidence against the accused by the prosecutor was strong, cogent and direct.

According to the judge, the convict admitted in his statement to the police that he owns the uncompleted building, adding that, “Although he denied killing the deceased, circumstantial evidence established that he was last seen with the deceased and that he committed the crime.”

“On the charge of robbery in section 298 of penal code, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the second count charge of culpable homicide under section 221 of the penal code law you Tunde Tayo is hereby convicted and sentenced to death by hanging until you die. May Almighty God have mercy on your soul,” Justice Mohammed said.