A High Court sitting in Plateau State on Wednesday sentenced two persons, Thomas Danboyi and Pam Lang, to death by hanging for their roles in the killing of one Chung Bot.
The ruling was delivered by the state Chief Judge, Justice David Gwong Mann, at the High Court in Jos on Wednesday.
In the case of State vs Thomas Danboyi and Pam Lang (Charge No. PLD/J112C/2010), the defendants were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
He stated that the acts were punishable under the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, 1963 (which was then applicable to Plateau State).
According to the prosecution, led by Plateau State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice P.A. Daffi and a team of lawyers, the crime took place on April 26, 2010, at Tahai Gyel Bukuru in Jos South Local Government Area.
The prosecution told the court that the victim, Chung Bot, and his family had gone to cultivate their property in Ta Hei, Gyel, when they were attacked by the accused and others (who are still at large).
The evidence given in court revealed that the first accused, Thomas Danboyi, confined the victim by holding his hands behind his back, while the second accused, Pam Lang, repeatedly beat Bot in the head with a stick.
The man was eventually brought to Plateau Hospital in Jos, where he died from his injuries while being treated.
The court ruled both defendants guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which resulted in their conviction.
According to Justice Mann, the evidence presented in court was “overwhelming,” and the prosecution’s witnesses and exhibits “established, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the defendants conspired to commit this crime and intentionally caused the victim’s death.”
After their conviction, their counsel pleaded for mercy, citing the convicts’ responsible family roles and good behaviour during the trial. Justice Mann granted a three-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy but imposed the death penalty for culpable homicide.
However, on the charge of culpable homicide, Justice Mann imposed the required sentence, which is the death penalty, as he had no authority to decrease the penalty.
The case has received a lot of attention because it has been ongoing since the crime was committed in 2010.
The public in Plateau State views the judgement as a powerful statement against violent crimes and the use of self-help, and it underlines the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring justice is done.
Legal experts point out that the convicted still have the right to appeal the judgement to the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court, as the case may be. However, until a higher court overturns the verdict, the sentence will be carried out in accordance with the law.
