NIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR KILLING WIFE

February 6, 2020:

An FCT High Court in Abuja, on 5 February 2020 sentenced a 38-year-old man, Eric Chigbor, to death by hanging for killing his wife.
The judge, Charles Agbaza, who found Mr Chigbor guilty of killing his wife, Jessica said the prosecution was able to prove with cogent evidence that the convict intentionally killed the deceased.
The judge said the offence contravened sections 220 of the penal code and is punishable under section 221.
Mr Agbaza, in his judgment, said, “In the circumstances, the court finds the defendant guilty of the charge of causing the death of Jessica on 3 February 2015.
“This will serve as a deterrent to others because of the rising wave of either wife or husband beating resulting to death in our society.”
The judge concluded by informing the convict that he had right of appeal to the Appeal Court within 30 days.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convict, who resided with his deceased wife at No 10 off Sabongari Road, Bwari, Abuja took his wife’s corpse to the hospital in the early hours of 3 February 2015 and told the Mortician that the deceased committed suicide by taking Sniper.
Other witnesses, including neighbours, mortician and the police gave different evidence.
The convict, a bakery worker, had admitted during examination that he used to quarrel with his wife, a corps member at the time, but had never laid his hands on her.
A pathological autopsy carried out suggested that the deceased had a heart condition which may had deteriorated as the result of the matrimonial crisis she was going through.
Neighbours however said he was constantly beating her and he would lock the door to avoid them from interfering.