The Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction and death sentence of Abu Umar for culpable homicide, dismissing his appeal against the concurrent judgments of the Kaduna State High Court and the Court of Appeal.
In the Certified True Copy of the judgment made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, a five-member panel led by Justice Jummai-Hannatu Sankey held that the appeal lacked merit, ruling that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The apex court upheld the July 22, 2020 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, which affirmed the December 14, 2017 conviction and death sentence imposed on Umar by the Kaduna State High Court.
The court also endorsed the submissions of counsel to the Kaduna State Government, Emmanuel Ekpenyong of Fred-Young & Evans LP, who argued that the prosecution had established all the ingredients of the offence through credible evidence presented during the trial.
Umar had challenged the unanimous decision of the Court of Appeal, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove the charge of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221(b) of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State beyond reasonable doubt.
