Father Jailed 6 Yrs For kKlling His 9-Month- Old Sick Son With Herbicide

The Bauchi State High Court Number 10 presided by
Justice Abdulkadir Hussein Suleiman has sentenced a
father to six years in prison for administering chemical
herbicide to his 9-month-old child.
Counsel to the state Ministry of Justice, Mr Sha’awanatu
Yusuf, earlier told the court that on June 6, 2013, the
convict, Shitu Adamu of Zakshi village in Toro Local
Government Area poisoned his nine-month-old biological
son by administering herbicide chemical on him and as a
result, the son died on the spot.
He said the act was culpable homicide punishable with
death contrary to section 221 of the penal code.
In his evidence, the Police prosecutor, Sgt. Caiphas
Adamu, told the court that the accused, who is a father of
two, confessed to have committed the crime during
investigation.
He said his nine-month-old son was sick and his wife, who
was four-month pregnant, took him to hospital.
The Police prosecutor said his wife gave her husband a list
of prescription, but he complained that he had no money
at that time, so he administered a chemical herbicide on
his son, thinking that it will cure the sickness,
unfortunately the boy died.
The prosecutor said the accused attributed his action to
poverty and unemployment and regretted his action in his
confessional statement.
In her evidence, wife of the accused, Lantana Shitu, said
she went to fetch water in a pond and when she came back,
she saw that her son was vomiting and later died.
She said: “I did not know what happened until three days
later when our village head called my husband concerning
the issue and he confessed that he was the one that
poisoned his son with herbicide.”
In his judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Abdulkadir
Suleiman, said he considered the accused’s plea for
leniency made on his behalf by his counsel.
According to Justice Suleiman, “I have also taken into
account that the convict is the first offender and appears to
be remorseful throughout the trial. I hereby sentence him
to six years imprisonment commencing from June 24,
2013, the day he was remanded in prison custody.