Man sentenced to life imprisonment for killing uncle over land dispute in Anambra
By Sunny A. David, Awka
A High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has sentenced a man, Silas Uwa, to life imprisonment for killing his uncle, Nweke Eziokwu, during a dispute over a parcel of land.
Justice Okechukwu Nwabunike handed down the sentence on Monday after finding Uwa guilty of manslaughter.
The court heard that Uwa and the deceased had been embroiled in a dispute over ownership of a piece of land in Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area of the state.
According to the prosecution, the matter had been considered by members of their kindred, who ruled that the disputed land belonged to Eziokwu. However, Uwa and his siblings reportedly rejected the decision.
The prosecution alleged that instead of seeking legal redress, Uwa confronted his uncle on his farm, where an argument reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation.
It was further alleged that Uwa used a machete to attack and kill Eziokwu during the encounter.
To prove its case, the prosecution, led by the Chief State Counsel, Ifeanyi Oguejiofor, assisted by Principal State Counsel, Ijeoma Ugboaja, called four witnesses, including the investigating police officer.
In his defence, Uwa pleaded self-defence and argued that the prosecution had failed to establish the charge of murder beyond reasonable doubt, particularly because there was no eyewitness to the killing.
Delivering judgment, Justice Nwabunike held that a murder case could be established through direct eyewitness testimony, a confessional statement or credible circumstantial evidence.
The judge noted that although there was no direct eyewitness account of the incident, the prosecution had presented sufficient and credible circumstantial evidence linking Uwa to the death of his uncle.
Justice Nwabunike also rejected the defendant’s claim of self-defence.
However, the court convicted Uwa of the lesser offence of manslaughter rather than murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The judgment brings to an end the legal proceedings arising from the land dispute that resulted in the death of Eziokwu.
