Carpenter bags 6 months for attempted suicide

An FCT High Court in Maitama has sentenced a man accused of attempting to kill himself after allegedly killing his wife to six months imprisonment for the offence of attempted suicide. Shaibu Buba, a carpenter, was arraigned before Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf by the police on a two-count charge bordering on culpable homicide and attempted suicide. […]

An FCT High Court in Maitama has sentenced a man accused of attempting to kill himself after allegedly killing his wife to six months imprisonment for the offence of attempted suicide.

Shaibu Buba, a carpenter, was arraigned before Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf by the police on a two-count charge bordering on culpable homicide and attempted suicide.

He was alleged to have on November 16, 2017, committed the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death by causing the death of his wife, Satrina Shaibu, by hitting her with a plank which caused her death at Kuruduma village in the FCT.

Police said Buba, after allegedly killing his wife, attempted suicide by intentionally pouring kerosene on himself with a view to setting himself on fire before he was rescued.

The offences, according to the prosecution, are punishable under Sections 221 and 231 of the Penal Code.

Buba pleaded guilty when the charges were read.

He told the court that he was guilty of hitting his wife with a plank, but that he was not sure she was dead as he had not seen her since then.

The prosecution counsel, Patrick Ogele, based on this plea, urged the court to convict the defendant.

While summarily convicting Buba, Justice Baba-Yusuf stated that because the first count was a capital offence, the court was entering not-guilty plea for the defendant.

He expressed satisfaction with the fact that the charges were read to Buba in a language he understood.

“I am satisfied that the defendant did not waste the time of the court and admitted his guilt. He is hereby sentenced to six months in prison without option of fine for the offence of attempted suicide”, the judge held, ordering that he be remanded in Kuje Prison.

Justice Baba-Yusuf, however, adjourned the matter to June 5, for hearing of evidence in the count of culpable homicide.