Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau state High Court in Jos, has sentenced a 24-year-old man, Godwin Banchir, to death by hanging, for beating his 65-years-old mother to death just because she failed to respond to his greetings.
Bachir was first arraigned on June 6th 2016 and charged with culpable homicide, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code punishable with death upon conviction. He is was said to have committed the crime on Jan. 21st 2016, when he used a stick to beat his mother to death.
Banchir in his confessional statement said that he returned from the farm on the said date and found his mother sitting in the compound and when he greeted her, she ignored him. He said that infuriated him and he picked a stick and hit her.
“I got angry when she did not respond to my greetings, so I picked the stick of an axe and hit her around her ribs. “She fell down and started shouting, which attracted our neighbours who came to beat me up and later took me to the police station. “I have been having misunderstandings with my mother each time I return from the farm, she doesn’t cook for me on time, and she always quarrels with me whenever I want to bathe with the water she fetched from the stream. Her actions always annoyed me, I did not know that she was going to die from the beating she received from me.”
Delivering judgement, Justice Longji said “Going by the findings of this court, you Godwin Banchir, mercilessly took the life of your mother, Mrs Saratu Banchir, in cold blood. This sentence is mandatory, as the law states that any person convicted of murder shall be punished with death by hanging. The sentence of this court upon you is that you, Godwin Banchir, will be hanged until you are dead, may God have mercy on your soul,’
