Five members of a vigilante group have been sentenced to death by hanging for their involvement in the death of a 17-year-old boy.
The conviction and sentencing were delivered by a High Court in the state on Thursday.
The five individuals convicted and sentenced to death are Emmanuel Korau, Elisha Ayuba, Irimiya Timothy, Auwalu Jafar, and Mustapha Haladu.
They were attached to the Sani Abacha Youth Centre and were arraigned before the court in connection with the death of the 17-year-old victim, Ahmed Musa.
According to the prosecution’s lead counsel, Barrister Lamido Soron-Dinki, the convicts committed the offence on January 22, 2022, at Sabon Titi, Panshekara, Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state, around 10 a.m.
The prosecution explained that the defendants conspired to attack the deceased as he was crossing Sabon Titi, Panshekara Road.
Soron-Dinki detailed the events, stating, “The defendants came out from a tricycle and started beating the deceased with a long wooden hard stick (club).
In the process, the deceased held the stick, and as a result, he sustained grievous injuries which led to his death.”
Chief Judge Justice Dije Aboki presided over the case and noted that the prosecution counsel presented five witnesses, successfully proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge highlighted that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 97 and 221(b) of the Penal Code.
Consequently, Justice Dije Aboki sentenced the five defendants to death by hanging, marking a significant development in the legal proceedings surrounding this tragic incident.