By JOY KAKA

An Abuja High Court on Thursday, sentenced a 27-year-old mother of three, Immaculate Chukwudi to 10 years imprisonment for stabbing and causing the death of her neighbour, Salamatu Yinusa.

The FCT Commissioner of Police charged Chukwudi with culpable homicide.

Delivering judgment, Justice Idris Mohammed, held that Chukwudi caused the death of Yunusa.

The judge cited the provisions of Section 225 of the Penal Code, which states: “whosoever causes the death of a person by doing an act not amounting to culpable homicide but done with the intention of causing hurt or grievous hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years or with fine or with both.

Earlier, the Defence Counsel, O. Oluwakemi told the court that the convict had no past criminal record before the court and was a young woman with the capacity of rehabilitation.

Oluwakemi added that Chukwudi was a mother of three young children who depend on her for survival and care, urging the court to temper justice with mercy.

Mohammed however sentenced the convict to 10 years imprisonment which starts from the day she was arraigned in May, 2024.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Prosecution Counsel, Adama Musa told the court that Chukwudi caused the death of her 18-year-old neighbour, Yinusa, by stabbing her in the chest with a knife.

Musa said that Chukwudi’s action caused Yinusa severe bodily injury which eventually led to her death on March 12, 2024 in, Kubwa, Abuja.

He added that Chukwudi did same with the knowledge that death would be the probable and not only a likely consequence of her act.

The offence, he said contravened the provisions of Section 220 (a) (b) of the Penal Code Law and punishable under 221 of the same Law.

In her defence, Chukwudi told the court that the deceased and her siblings who were her friends, fought her in her house while she was trying to prepare food for her son in the morning.

She said that the deceased and siblings beat her up and while trying to defend herself.

She begged the court for leniency saying that she got sick while in custody and needed proper care. (NAN)

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