A Plateau State High Court in Jos has sentenced two individuals, Thomas Danboyi and Pam Lang, to death by hanging for their involvement in the murder of Chung Bot.
Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, the state Chief Judge, Justice David Gwong Mann, found the defendants guilty of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide in the case State vs. Thomas Danboyi & Pam Lang (Charge No. PLD/J112C/2010).
The judge stated that the offences were punishable under the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, 1963, which was applicable in Plateau State at the time of the crime.
The prosecution, led by the Plateau State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, P.A. Daffi, told the court that the incident occurred on April 26, 2010, at Tahai Gyel Bukuru in Jos South Local Government Area.
According to the prosecution, Chung Bot and his family had gone to their farmland in Ta Hei, Gyel, when they were attacked by the accused persons along with others who are still at large.
The court heard that Thomas Danboyi restrained the victim by holding his hands behind his back while Pam Lang repeatedly struck Bot on the head with a stick.
The victim was later taken to Plateau Hospital, Jos, where he died from his injuries while receiving treatment.
Justice Mann ruled that the prosecution had presented compelling evidence proving the guilt of the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The evidence before the court was overwhelming, and the prosecution through its witnesses and exhibits tendered established, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the defendants conspired to commit this crime and intentionally caused the death of the victim,” he said.
Following the conviction, the defence counsel pleaded for leniency, citing that the convicts were responsible family men who had conducted themselves well during the trial.
In response, Justice Mann exercised his discretion in the charge of criminal conspiracy, sentencing them to three years imprisonment.
However, for the offence of culpable homicide, he noted that the law prescribed a mandatory death sentence, leaving him no discretion to impose a lesser punishment.
The case, which has been in court since 2010, has drawn significant public attention.
Observers see the judgment as a firm stance against violent crimes and vigilantism in Plateau State, reinforcing the judiciary’s role in ensuring justice is served.
Legal experts point out that the convicts still have the right to appeal the ruling at the Court of Appeal and, if necessary, the Supreme Court.
