CaseLaw
State V. Ahmed (2020) CLR 1(e) (SC)
Judgement delivered on January 24th 2020
Brief
Facts
The facts are that one Ishiaku Abdulrazaq (PW1), a barber, sometime in December, 2009, was in his shop when the Respondent came to barb his hair wherein a discussion ensued. The Respondent then informed the PW1 that his conscience pricked him because he stabbed a boy with a knife in a fight by the river side of old water dam. The Respondent admitted he knew the boy and PW1 agreed to follow him to the family so that he could be taken to the hospital but the Respondent refused. Later in January 2010, PW1 was arrested in connection with an alleged theft of electricity generating set given to him to keep. During the interrogation, he was asked if he knew the Respondent, who had told them that he was one of those that killed the deceased. He later led the vigilante men to arrest the Respondent who eventually told them that he alone stabbed the deceased. The Respondent was arrested and handed over to the police. The Respondent was charged before the High Court of Niger State as follows That you, Ali Ahmed of Water Board Area, Suleja, Niger State, on or about the 2nd of November, 2009 at about 15:35 hours within Suleja Judicial Division at Katoma River Suleja stabbed Mohammed Bello to death with a furniture knife and you thereby committed offence of culpable homicide, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code.
After the trial, the Respondent was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. Dissatisfied, he appealed to the lower Court, which found in his favour. This precipitated the State (Appellant) to appeal to this Court.
Issues
Whether the prosecution proved its case against the respondent beyond reasonable doubt....