By Damilare Adeleye
A Kano State High Court has sentenced a Chinese man, Geng Quandong, who is being prosecuted for murder of his Nigerian girlfriend, Ummukulsum Buhari, to death by hanging.
Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji of Kano state high court sitting at Miller road, Bompai, sentenced a Chinese national to death during Tuesday ruling.
It was recalled that Geng had invaded the residence of Ummita in September 2022 and stabbed her to death during an argument.
He had fled the scene but was subsequently arrested by the police and arraigned.
During cross examination in court, he had said Ummita broke his heart by getting married to another person as he had plans of settling down with her.
Geng added that when they started preparation for their wedding, he bought her wedding dresses worth N1.5 million, sweets and other dresses they will wear on their wedding day and ‘Asoebi’ for her friends and N700,000 new notes for spraying on the wedding day.
“I went to Sokoto to see her family members where I spent N700,000.
“On the 13th September 2022, she requested some money to be used in the house she is building in Abuja but I didn’t give her because I don’t have money then.
“Since then, she stopped answering my calls because she thought I am broke.”
He said Ummita deceived him and got married to another person but continued to request money from him and there was a time she came to Kano, and she made sure that they met.
He had said, “Besides huge amounts of money I used to spend on her, I used to take her out to places like Bristol Palace and Central Hotel to eat food.
“I bought her house worth N4 million, a car worth N10 million. N18 million as capital to start business, and spent N500,000 worth of bags and shoes on her new shop and N1 million worth of laces and wrappers and a house in Abuja which she started building.”
He added that he bought her gold wears worth N5 million, N6 million to go and process her certificate at Sokoto University and N1 million to install the solar system in their house.
After the prosecution proved the alleged murder beyond reasonable doubt, the court ruled that Quandong, 47, was found guilty of the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Kano State and convicted accordingly.
While ruling on Tuesday, the judge convicted Geng and sentenced him to death.