Police Sergeant Bags Death Sentence For Killing Businessman

A High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, has sentenced a police sergeant, Vincent Manu, to death for unlawfully killing a businessman, late Stephen Anakwe, and labelling him an armed robber.

Manu was arraigned alongside other five policemen; Inspector Danladi Lenkem; Inspector Edula Ateku, who died in the course of the trial; Samson Magga, a corporal; Musa Audu, also a corporal, as well as Christopher Maikasuwa, on one count charge of criminal conspiracy to kill the deceased while they were on patrol duty. The presiding judge, Justice James Abundega, who found Manu guilty of killing the deceased, said the prosecution was able to prove with cogent circumstantial evidence that the convict intentionally killed the deceased.


He rejected the defendant’s plea of self defense. He however, absolved the other policemen of any wrong doing, as he discharged and acquitted them. Justice Abundega in his judgment held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. He said, “In the circumstances, the court finds the defendant guilty of the charge of causing the death of late Stephen Anakwe on January 13, 2012. The defendant having been convicted for the offence of culpable homicide under section 221 of the penal code as charge is sentenced to death, the sentence of the court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead.


The younger brother of the deceased, Mr. Stanley Anakwe, expressed gratitude to God for the verdict, saying, justice had been served after six years of court processes. The prosecution had said that the police patrol team killed the deceased on that night and buried his remains secretly the next morning without making any effort to contact his family members.

From punch