A Kano High Court yesterday sentenced a 47-year-old Chinese, Frank Geng-Quangrong, 47, to death by hanging for stabbing his 22-year-old Nigerian girlfriend, Ummukulsum Sani, to death.
Geng-Quangrong, a resident at Kano Railway quarters, was convicted on one count charge bordering on culpable homicide.
Delivering judgment, Justice Sanusi Ado-Ma’aji, upheld that the prosecution had proven its case beyond any reasonable doubt, adding: “The defendant’s testimony is inconsistent. I hereby find him guilty.”
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, who is the Attorney-General of Kano State, Haruna Dederi, informed the court that the convict committed the offence on September 16, 2022, at Janbulo Quarters Kano.
According to him, on the same date at about 9 pm, the convict stabbed the deceased with a knife in her house at Janbulo Quarters, Kano for an undisclosed reason.
“The victim was promptly rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, where she was confirmed dead on arrival by a medical doctor,” he added.
Geng-Quangrong, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
During the trial, the prosecution presented six witnesses to prove their case against the defendant, including his four exhibits.
The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened the provision of Section 221(b) of the Penal Code.
The defence counsel, Muhummad Dan’azumi, presented the defendant to defend himself and one other witness, who tendered five exhibits.
Dan’azumi urged the court to recommend the defendant for a prerogative of mercy under Section 313 of ACJL.
In his testimony, Geng-Quangrong said: “I didn’t kill Ummulkhulsum intentionally but stabbed her in self-defence after she grabbed my testicles,” and pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in its judgment.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the verdict, the victim’s mother, Hajiya Fatima Zubairu, expressed satisfaction with the judgement, acknowledging that it would serve as a deterrent in the future for anyone who takes the law into his hands.
