In a high-profile ruling on Wednesday, a Plateau State High Court sentenced two men, Thomas Danboyi and Pam Lang, to death by hanging for their involvement in the brutal killing of Chung Bot. The verdict was delivered by Chief Judge Justice David Mann at the court in Jos.
The case, State vs. Thomas Danboyi & Pam Lang (Charge No. PLD/J112C/2010), saw the two defendants convicted on charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide. The crime, which occurred on April 26, 2010, in the Tahai Gyel Bukuru area of Jos South Local Government, involved a violent attack on Bot and his family as they worked on their farmland.
According to the prosecution, led by Plateau State Attorney General P.A. Daffi, Thomas Danboyi restrained the victim, Chung Bot, while Pam Lang repeatedly struck him on the head with a stick. The victim was rushed to Plateau Hospital in Jos, where he later died from his injuries. The court found the evidence against the two defendants “overwhelming” and determined that they had conspired to kill Bot.
Justice Mann, after reviewing the case, emphasized that the prosecution had proven the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. While both men’s defense counsel pleaded for leniency, citing their roles as responsible family men and their good conduct during the trial, Justice Mann could not reduce the penalty for the charge of culpable homicide, which mandates a death sentence under the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
For the charge of criminal conspiracy, however, the judge exercised some discretion and sentenced both men to three years in prison.
This conviction marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to uphold justice and deter violent crime in Plateau State, as the community grapples with the consequences of such tragic acts.
