Driver jailed one year for causing pedestrian’s death

Written by Hussein Yahaya Thursday, 16 June 2011 00:00

An Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court Tuesday sentenced a middle-aged driver, Abubakar Umar of opposite Gaskiya Hospital, Suleja, to one year imprisonment without fine option for causing the death of a pedestrian through dangerous driving.

Chief Magistrate Oyebola Oyewumi also ordered the accused to pay N150,000 as compensation, to support the deceased person’s family in making burial plans.

The accused was first arraigned before the court on November 25, 2010 on a four-count charge of causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop after the accident, inconsiderate driving as well as driving without driver’s license.

During that sitting, the accused denied all the charges and the case went into proper trial.

Delivering ruling on the case, the chief magistrate found the accused guilty of the offences and convicted him accordingly.

In another court, a 19-year-old conductor, Uchenna Igwe, was arraigned for allegedly stealing a Nokia handset valued at N5,000 and N7,000 from one Tangshek Jidima.

He was charged with joint acts and theft, offences contrary to Sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code.

Prosecutor Silas Nanpan informed the court that on June 12, Tangshek Jidima reported to the police that the accused connived with someone to snatch her handset and money, adding that the said handset was recovered from the accused during investigation.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested for bail, which was not opposed to by the prosecutor.

Senior Magistrate Chinyere Nwacheonwu granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with a reasonable surety in like sum, who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction

The case was adjourned to June 29 for hearing.