Kaduna seeks death sentence for 50 Shi’ites

The Kaduna state government on Thursday asked a Kaduna high court to sentence 50 Shiite members to death for allegedly causing the death of a soldier.

The state government had filed a five-count charge against the accused before Justice David Wyom.

It accused them of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, culpable homicide, disturbance of public peace and wrongful restrain.

In the petition, Bayero Diri, counsel to the government, said the offences are punishable under Sections 97, 221, 102, 106 and 225 of the penal code law, laws of Kaduna state 1991.

The government said the offence was committed between December 12 and 14, 2015, in Zaria.

It alleged that the suspects, among other things, shot dead one Yakubu Dankaduna, a colonel of the Nigerian army, “with a gun when he alighted from the convoy to disperse the IMN members”.

Section 102 of the penal code prescribes death sentence for such offence.

The prosecution told the court that they intend to present 39 witnesses.

The plea of the accused persons was not taken, as the judge adjourned sitting till May 16.

Fifty suspects were among the 265 persons currently in custody, who were arrested during the Shi’ites clash with the army on December 12 and December 14, 2015.