Please read the story below and tell us if you think these students' crime deserve the firing squad sentence!
Justice Theresa Igoche of the Makurdi High Court, on Tuesday
sentenced two students, Vershima Kaachi and Akaazua Akpen, to death by
firing squad for armed robbery.
The convicts were arrested on the eve of Christmas in 2007 for
criminal conspiracy and armed robbery, contrary to Sections 5(b) and
1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,
1990.
Is this another barbaric judgement? Politicians steal billions and get a
slap on the wrist. *tears for our people* Please continue...
In his testimony, the victim of the offence, Jonathan Usenge, told
the court that five armed men came to his house, attacked and robbed him
of some valuable items on that day.
He stated that the robbers collected his Nokia 1600 phone valued
N12,700.00, two torch lights valued N350.00 and a sum of N16,500.
He said the convicts were armed with guns and a hacksaw, and that the
clothes they wore on the day of the robbery, his stolen phone and the
hacksaw were recovered from them during police investigation.
The prosecution called three witnesses while the accused persons testified for themselves and also called three witnesses.
In his submission, counsel to the convicts, Mr Cletus Ujah, argued
that the prosecuting counsel had not proved the allegation against his
clients beyond reasonable doubt.
Ujah insisted that the victim was inconsistent in his testimony,
arguing that the prosecution's evidence could not be said to be
overwhelming to nail his clients.
He further argued that the prosecution failed to tender the hacksaw
claimed to have been recovered from his clients before the court which,
he said, amounted to withholding evidence.
But the prosecuting counsel, Mr Obande Idikwu, argued that the
prosecution had made a case to warrant the conviction of the accused
persons.
Idikwu submitted that from the evidence, it could be deduced that
there was an agreement to commit an illegal act, which was pursued to a
logical conclusion.
Delivering judgment, Igoche held that the prosecution had proved its case against the convicts and found them guilty as charged.
In an allocutus, Ujah pleaded for leniency for the accused persons,
pointing out that they were each the only sons of their parents and
young boys with a promising future ahead of them, noting that they had
no records of previous conviction and were looking very remorseful, and
urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
But the judge said the punishment prescribed for offenders under
Section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms Act was death by either hanging
or firing squad, pointing out that it was subject to the governor's
discretion.
