37-yr-old man to face hangman’s noose for killing wife over s*x

A 37-year-old man identified as Benjamin Toma, has been sentenced to death by hanging following a ruling by a Plateau High Court sitting in Barkin-Ladi for murdering his wife.

Toma reportedly committed the crime against his wife, Vicky, on March 4, 2014.

While delivering judgement for the condemned suspect, Justice Samson Gang, in a 68-paged judgment, pronounced Toma guilty of a one-count charge of culpable homicide, punishable with death, under section 221 of the penal code.

In his ruling, Gang said; “Going by the findings of this court, you, Benjamin Toma, mercilessly and in a calculative manner, took the life of your wife in cold blood.

Continuing, Gang added that; “You have not shown any remorse for your reprehensible act at the time of the incident and throughout the entire trial. You were exhibiting such character traits that seem to suggest your deep conviction about the justness of your wicked and callous act.

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“In all of this, your two children are the ultimate losers, but the law shall nonetheless take its course; the offence for which you are being charged, does not contemplate a plea in mitigation. The sentence of this court upon you is that you, Benjamin Toma, will be hanged until you are dead”.

According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Sunday Abu, Toma, who is accused of using an iron rod to kill his wife and also using a rope to tie her neck before hanging her in the store to give the impression that she killed herself, said that on the said date (March 4) when the incident happened, he demanded for sex from his wife at about 1 a.m but she refused him.

“He (Toma) further confessed that his wife refused to grant his request, and declared that Vicky had persistently rejected that demand for more than one year on the suspicion that he had HIV/AIDS.

“Toma said that because of this wife’s allegation, he went to the hospital and confirmed he had hepatitis and not HIV. He told investigators that on that night, he struggled with his wife and later used an iron rod to hit her.

“He said that when she fell, he left her there for two hours, and later took her out of the room and used a rope to hang her in a bid to conceal his action.” The prosecutor added.

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