A birthday celebration in Abuja has ended in a life prison sentence after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court convicted Ekang Philip Bassey for the death of his friend, Emeka Nnonifu.
The conviction followed the successful prosecution of the case by the FCT Police Command.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, on Thursday.

According to the statement, Justice M. S. Idris of the FCT High Court 25 sentenced Bassey to life imprisonment over the incident, which occurred on January 6, 2024, at a hotel in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Police had initially arraigned the defendant on charges of culpable homicide punishable by death under Sections 220(a) and (b) of the Penal Code, with punishment provided under Section 221, following the conclusion of investigations into the case.

Investigations presented before the court showed that the convict and the deceased were close friends. Trouble started during a birthday party organised by Bassey, which Emeka attended, before a disagreement between the two escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the trial, prosecutors established that Bassey slapped and pushed the deceased, causing him to fall and hit his head on a concrete surface. The victim sustained severe injuries and was later confirmed dead.

In its judgment in Suit No. FCT/HC/CR/330/2024, the court ruled that although the unlawful actions of the defendant directly caused Emeka’s death, the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Bassey had the intention or knowledge required to sustain a conviction for culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

However, the court held that the prosecution successfully established that the defendant unlawfully caused the victim’s death. Consequently, Justice Idris convicted Bassey of culpable homicide under Section 224 of the Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The FCT Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that criminal offenders are brought to justice while maintaining respect for the rule of law and the constitutional rights of all citizens.