A High Court in Plateau State has sentenced a former student of Government Technical College, Bukuru, Emmanuel Ude, to death by hanging for the 2021 murder of his teacher, Mr. Job Dashe.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Silas Bakfur found Ude guilty of culpable homicide punishable under Sections 221 and 222 of the Plateau State Penal Code, which mandate the death penalty for such offences.
The tragic incident occurred in July 2021 at the school in Jos South Local Government Area. According to court testimony, Mr. Dashe, who was serving as Duty Master, confronted Ude over a suspected violation of the school’s dining hall rules. The teacher had asked the student to open his food flask for inspection, suspecting it contained food acquired illegally—an instruction Ude refused.
Shortly after the confrontation, Ude reportedly returned to the dormitory, retrieved a knife, and stabbed Mr. Dashe in the chest. He fled the scene immediately, while the teacher was rushed to a hospital along Vom Road, where he was later confirmed dead.
Following a police investigation, Ude was arrested and made a confessional statement at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The statement was admitted as a key piece of evidence during trial.
The prosecution, led by state counsel Nansil Mbah and Solomon Deme from the Plateau State Ministry of Justice, argued that the killing was premeditated and intentional. The trial, which spanned nearly four years, culminated in Monday’s judgment.
While the defence counsel, Josil Drinkat, urged the court to show mercy, citing the convict’s remorse, Justice Bakfur said the law offered no discretion in capital offences.
“The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled. “The hands of the court are tied; I can only do what the law prescribes in such a situation.”
Emmanuel Ude was accordingly sentenced to death by hanging until certified dead.
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