A Nasarawa State High Court sitting in Lafia has sentenced a man, Saidu Idi, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide in the killing of a herder in the state.

The case, which dragged through the courts for about 11 years, was brought to a close by the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Aisha Muhammed Usman, who held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The Attorney-General of Nasarawa State and Commissioner for Justice, Isaac Danladi, who personally led the prosecution, described the verdict as a landmark decision that underscored the resolve of the state to tackle violent crime.

Danladi explained that the victim, a herdsman, was attacked in the Kopuna area of one of the local government areas of the state. According to him, evidence before the court showed that the herder was first shot and killed before his valuables and money were taken.

He noted that while the court discharged Idi on the count of conspiracy, it convicted him on the charges of armed robbery and culpable homicide, stressing that the judgment would serve as a deterrent to others involved in violent criminal activities.

Danladi added that both the prosecution and the defence had ample opportunity over the years to call witnesses and tender exhibits, and that the court’s decision reflected a careful evaluation of the evidence.

However, defence counsel Chidi Okorie Kanu rejected the outcome, insisting that the judgment was flawed and would be challenged at the Court of Appeal.

Kanu said the defence team would thoroughly study the judgment and the record of proceedings with a view to filing an appeal, arguing that there were material inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case that ought to have created reasonable doubt.

He pointed in particular to the testimony of the first prosecution witness, PW1, who, according to him, could not remember making a statement at the State Criminal Investigation Department. Kanu questioned how such a witness could then be considered reliable in identifying the defendant as the assailant on the day of the incident.

The defence lawyer maintained that the appellate court would be invited to review the findings of the trial court and determine whether the conviction and death sentence were properly entered in line with the law and the evidence presented.