A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has sentenced Ekang Bassey to life imprisonment for causing the death of his friend, Emeka Nnonifu, following a dispute at a birthday celebration in the Kubwa area of Abuja.
The conviction was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh.
According to the statement, the judgment followed a comprehensive police investigation into the incident, which occurred on January 6, 2024.
Adeh said Bassey was initially arraigned on a charge of culpable homicide punishable with death under Sections 220(a) and (b), and punishable under Section 221 of the Penal Code.
The police said evidence presented before the court showed that the convict and the deceased were friends and that Nnonifu had organised the birthday party attended by Bassey.
A disagreement between the two men reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation that proved fatal.
According to the prosecution, Bassey slapped and pushed Nnonifu during the altercation, causing him to fall and hit his head on a concrete surface, resulting in fatal injuries.
Delivering judgment in Suit No. FCT/HC/CR/330/2024, the court held that although Bassey’s unlawful act caused the death of the deceased, the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that he possessed the intention or knowledge required to sustain a conviction under Section 221 of the Penal Code.
The court, however, found him guilty of culpable homicide under Section 224 of the Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
“The court held that the evidence adduced by the prosecution established that the defendant unlawfully caused the death of the deceased and consequently convicted him of culpable homicide under Section 224 of the Penal Code, sentencing him to life imprisonment,” the police statement said.
The FCT Police Command described the judgment as a demonstration of its commitment to ensuring that offenders are brought to justice while upholding the rule of law and the constitutional rights of all persons.
