The Chief Judge (CJ) of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, presiding over Minna High Court 1, has sentenced Stephen Jiya to death by hanging for the heinous act of setting his own biological mother on fire, resulting in her tragic demise.
The ruling, delivered with solemnity by Justice Abdulmalik, underscored the gravity of Jiya’s actions, deeming him guilty of culpable homicide, a charge punishable under Section 221 of the penal code law.
The chilling incident unfolded on December 20, 2021, when Jiya, a resident of the Suleja area of Niger State, visited his mother’s residence, Comfort Jiya, a retired Director in the Niger State Ministry of Education, in Dutsen-Kura, Minna.
Armed with a bottle of petrol he found in her kitchen, Jiya callously set his mother ablaze, leading to her immediate hospitalization.
Despite the efforts of neighbors who rushed her to General Hospital Minna, Comfort Jiya succumbed to her injuries after being transferred to another medical facility.
The state Criminal Intelligence Department (SCID) promptly apprehended Jiya for interrogation, where he admitted to the crime, asserting that he committed the unthinkable act due to his mother’s alleged interference in his marital issues.
Jiya had been earlier arraigned before a magistrate court on provisional charges while awaiting legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for a comprehensive prosecution.
The DPP officially charged Jiya on September 14, 2022, under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law, which carries a death penalty upon conviction.
The trial commenced on November 23, 2022, with Justice Abdulmalik scheduling the final decision for December 13, 2023.
In her comprehensive ruling, Justice Abdulmalik emphasized the prosecution’s successful establishment of the case against the defendant, citing compelling testimonies from six witnesses, including two members of Jiya’s family and his younger sister.
The court was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt of Jiya’s culpability in the reprehensible act.
“In the circumstances, the sentence of the court upon you is that you should be hanged by the neck, electrocuted, executed, or injected with lethal injection until you are dead, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul,” declared Justice Abdulmalik, delivering the gravest penalty for the profound tragedy that unfolded in the Jiya household.
The verdict not only brings a semblance of justice to the grieving family of Comfort Jiya but also serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic conflicts escalating to unthinkable acts of violence.
As the legal proceedings conclude, the specter of capital punishment hangs over Stephen Jiya, a chilling reminder of the profound societal repercussions of such heinous crimes.
