News Editor
By Olu Balogun
A non-governmental organization dedicated to peace, stability and good governance in the country, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, MMWG, has appealed to the Kwara State governor, Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq not to delay in signing the death sentence passed on one Abdulrahman Bello for killing a student of the State College of Education, Ilorin, Miss Hafsat Yetunde Lawal few months ago.
Hon. Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi of the State High Court, Ilorin had last week Thursday condemned Bello to death by hanging, having been found guilty of the murder.
Reacting to the judgment in a press statement issued on Monday by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, MMWG commended the judiciary for its decision on the case, pointing out that signing the death warrant of the convicted criminal would serve as a deterrent to other evil-minded people in the state in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
The group noted that insecurity is striving in Nigeria because some criminal acts had not attracted deserved punishments, adding that lack of consequences for criminalities would continue to make the nation unsafe not only to Nigerians, but also to the international community.
While hailing the judiciary for the holistic judicial process with which the case was handled, it also commended the security operatives “for their quick investigation of the case which resulted in discreet and efficient prosecution of the accused that led to early completion of the trial.”
MMWG described Bello’s condemnation to death by hanging as appropriate, saying “it’s in line with principle of Shar’iah which forbids killing of any innocent soul whatsoever without any justification.”
It, therefore, urged “all evil-doers to learn a lesson from the judgment and desist from evil deeds as Almighty Allah is capable of exposing them for punishment here and hereafter.”
The group noted that the confession of the accused to the crime before and during the trial actually hastened the conclusion of the case, praising the lawyers that prosecuted the case as well the those who stood for the Muslim Ummah that the criminal elimination of Hafsat Lawal must not go unpunished as justice must be served quickly and appropriately.
It described the murder as one of the worst crimes Allah promised to punish here and hereafter; admonishing the parents and family of the deceased to take solace in the fact that justice will prevail over the criminal killing of their daughter.
