A High court in Bayelsa state has sentenced a police officer to death by hanging for killing a man in the state.
Police
A police sergeant, Jila Lanubo, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the extra-judicial killing of one Oruyegha Grand at Agudama area of Yenagoa, the state capital by a Bayelsa State High Court presided over by Justice Ineikade Eradiri on Wednesday.
Lanubo, who hails from Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, was attached to “MOPOL 30” in the Bayelsa State Police Command.
He was attached to the Akenfa Police Division for patrol duties before the incident happened in May 2017.
The State Special Prosecutor, Arthur Seweniowor, had charged the police sergeant with murder relying on Section 24 (1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C14, Laws of Bayelsa State, 2006.
Lanubo under cross-examination admitted shooting Grand but explained that he did so in line with his duty as a policeman.
He also said that the shot was to frighten the deceased as he (Grand) tried to escape arrest.
The Prosecution had called 15 witnesses, including the deceased wife and brother, to prove that Lanubo killed Grand without any provocation on the fateful date.
Seweniowor had argued that the three essential ingredients that prosecution must establish to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt had been met in the case.
Justice Eradiri, in his judgment, upheld the argument of the Prosecution and sentenced Lanubo to death by hanging.