Kaduna Govt Seeks Death Sentence for 50 Shiite Members

The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday asked the state High Court to sentence 50 Shiite members to death for allegedly causing the death of a soldier.

The 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, counsel to the government, Mr Bayero Diri, 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, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the offence was committed between December 12 and 14, 2015, in Zaria.

It alleged that the suspects, among other things, shot dead one Corporal Yakubu Dankaduna of the Nigerian Army “with a gun when he alighted from the convoy to disperse the shiite 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.
It was gathered that the 50 suspects were among the 265 persons currently in custody, who were arrested during the Shiites clash with the Army on December 12 and 14, 2015.