A Minna High Court 1, presided over by the Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, has scheduled a ruling for December 13, 2023, in the culpable homicide case against one Stephen Jiya.
Recall that Jiya, a resident of the Suleja area of the state, on December 20, 2021, visited his biological mother, who lived in Dutsen-Kura, Minna, and set her ablaze using a bottle of petrol while she was cooking in her kitchen.
During the interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) of the Niger State Police Command, he confessed to committing the crime, alleging that he killed his mother for intruding into his marital affairs.
The mother was then rushed to General Hospital Minna by neighbors. She was later transferred to another medical facility, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
Previously, he was arraigned before a magistrate court by SCIID operatives on provisional charges while awaiting legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) within the Ministry of Justice for proper prosecution in a competent court.
The DPP formally charged him in the High Court on September 14, 2022, under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law, which carries the death penalty if found guilty.
Consequently, the case’s hearing is set to commence on November 23, 2022, with Chief Judge Justice Abdulmalik scheduling the final decision for December 13, 2023.
