Woman To Die By Hanging For Killing Traditional Ruler

One Mrs Amina Zubairu, 35, who is the wife of the late Gom Mama of Kwarra Chiefdom in Wamba Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband.

The accused was reported to have killed her husband, Adamu Zubairu, who until his death in 2014, was a first class traditional ruler in the state.

Justice Aisha Bashir of the Nasarawa State High Court 2, sitting in Lafia, passed the judgment on Tuesday.

She held that the accused was found guilty of culpable homicide, which carries the death penalty.

The judge, who noted that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, subsequently sentenced the convict to death by hanging.

The police had earlier stated that the circumstances leading to the death of the traditional ruler were suspicious.

Police investigations led to a search of the compound of the deceased, where a syringe containing remnants of a poisonous substance, was found.

It was learnt that the police arrested the convict in connection with the death of the monarch on the eve of his marriage to another woman on February 15, 2015.

Amina, who was one of the wives of the deceased, was called in for questioning after she was identified as a prime suspect and she was subsequently charged to court for culpable homicide when a case was established against her.

Reacting to the judgment, the prosecution counsel, Jibrin Aboki, commended the court’s decision and said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to others with such tendencies.

Speaking in a similar vein, the first son of the late monarch, Abdullahi Zubairu, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.

However, the counsel for the accused, Shekama Sheltu, expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and expressed his client’s decision to appeal.