Nigerian Court Sentences Man To Death By Lethal Injection For Murder
A High Court sitting in Langtang, Plateau State, has sentenced a man, Nanman Selchang, to death by hanging or lethal injection for the offense of culpable homicide punishable with death.
In a judgment delivered on April 18, 2024, with the CASE NO.: PLD/L 21 CR/2023, Hon. Justice Shikamma Kassam Sheltu found Selchang guilty of stabbing Joshua Nanshep to death with a knife on March 6, 2022, at the Gashim Resort beer parlor in Kwanpe Village, Langtang North Local Government Area.
The court established that on the fateful day, an argument ensued between Selchang and the deceased, Joshua Nanshep, after Nanshep refused to shake Selchang’s hand. The disagreement escalated, leading Selchang to stab Nanshep in the chest with a knife, resulting in his death.
During the trial, the prosecution presented four witnesses and tendered two exhibits, including Selchang’s confessional statement and a photograph of the deceased’s body. The defense, led by counsel R.N. Wuyep, called Selchang as the sole witness and tendered an exhibit.
In his judgment, Justice Sheltu stated that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying heavily on Selchang’s voluntary confessional statement and the corroborating testimonies of the witnesses.
The court rejected Selchang’s defenses of self-defense and provocation, stating that he failed to establish the necessary conditions for these defenses to be successful.
Justice Sheltu expressed concern over the tragic incident, which stemmed from a mere refusal to shake hands, and highlighted the grave consequences of taking a life.
The sentence of death by hanging or lethal injection was imposed on Selchang in accordance with Section 189 of the Plateau State Penal Code Law, 2017, which mandates the death penalty for the offense of culpable homicide punishable with death.
