THE Nigerian Air Force has sentenced to death by hanging Ayomide Bernard Kalu, an air craft man, for killing Solape Oladipupo, aka Shomzy Shomzy, his lover and an aircraft woman, on March 12, 2017 at the Airforce base in Makurdi, Benue State.

The 22-year-old Kalu was convicted based on charges of murder, house breaking, attempt to murder one Samuel Onah Echo, failure to perform military duties, disobedient to standing order and loosing service property.

Reading out the 70-page  court findings, which lasted for about two hours, M.A. Umoh, a flight lieutenant and the judge advocate, listed the eight-count charges against 22-year-old Kalu to include murder, house breaking, impersonation, attempted murder, among others.

Delivering the judgement at about 8:30 pm on Tuesday, August 15, Elisha Bindul, a group captain and president of the 10-man General Court Martial, held that the accused was guilty of six out of eight-count charges levelled against him.

Consequently, Bindul sentenced the convict to death by hanging, subject to the confirmation of the conveying authority.

Abimiku Ewuga, defence counsel, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying the accused was his family breadwinner.

Kalu had on March 12, 2017, killed Oladipupo at her Corporal and Below Quarters, Compound 9, Air Force Base, Makurdi, on the suspicion that she was in a love relationship with another man.

He had broken into Oladipupo’s home before shooting her in the neck at close range.

He had also made an attempt to shoot Samuel Onah Echo, a civilian, said to be a member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who he (Kalu) suspected was having an affair with the deceased.

The court, however, acquitted the convict of two-count charges of impersonation and misconduct of drinking Izal with impression of poisoning himself based on the fact that the prosecution could not prove both charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Ewuga later told reporters that he would appeal the judgement.

Oluremi Ilori, the prosecution counsel,  on his part said justice had been done and that the deceased would be happy in her grave.

Aug 16, 2017 @ 12:15 GMT