A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has sentenced Ekang Philip Bassey to life imprisonment for causing the death of his friend, Emeka Nnonifu, during a birthday celebration in Kubwa, Abuja.
The judgment was delivered by Justice M. S. Idris after the court found Bassey guilty of culpable homicide in connection with the incident, which occurred on January 6, 2024.
The FCT Police Command, in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said the convict had earlier been arraigned following the conclusion of investigations into the case.
According to the police, the deceased attended Bassey's birthday party before an argument between the two friends degenerated into a physical confrontation.
Adeh said the prosecution established before the court that the convict slapped and pushed the victim during the altercation, causing him to fall and hit his head on a concrete surface.
She explained that Nnonifu sustained severe head injuries and was later confirmed dead.
"The evidence before the court showed that although the defendant's unlawful act led to the death of the deceased, the prosecution did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that he had the intention or knowledge required to sustain a conviction under Section 221 of the Penal Code," Adeh said.
She added that the court instead found Bassey guilty of culpable homicide under Section 224 of the Penal Code after holding that his actions unlawfully caused the victim's death.
Justice Idris subsequently sentenced the convict to life imprisonment. The police noted that Bassey was initially charged with culpable homicide, an offence punishable under Sections 220 and 221 of the Penal Code, before the court returned its verdict based on the evidence presented during the trial.
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