By Eneka Chiaghanam
A land dispute that ended in the death of a family member
has resulted in a life sentence for Silas
Uwa, after an Anambra State High Court found him responsible for killing
his uncle, Mr Nweke Eziokwu, in
Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area.
Justice Okechukwu A.
Nwabunike of High Court 4, Awka Judicial Division, delivered the
judgment on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, convicting Uwa of the lesser offence
of manslaughter after a murder trial.
The case, filed as Charge
No. A/63C/2018, arose from a dispute over ownership of a parcel of
family land. The kindred had ruled that the land belonged to Eziokwu, but Uwa
and his siblings disagreed with the decision.
Rather than challenge the kindred’s decision through the
courts, the dispute remained unresolved until the fatal confrontation. The
prosecution told the court that Uwa later confronted Eziokwu while he was
working on his farm.
The encounter turned violent, with Uwa engaging his uncle in
a fight before killing him with a machete. The prosecution relied on evidence
presented by four witnesses, including the police officer who investigated the
circumstances surrounding the death.
Court rejects self-defence argument
The defence maintained that Uwa acted in self-defence and
argued that the prosecution had not established murder beyond reasonable doubt
because there was no eyewitness to the killing.
Justice Nwabunike, however, held that Nigerian law does not
require an eyewitness in every murder trial. He identified three recognised
ways of proving guilt: direct eyewitness evidence, a confessional statement or
credible circumstantial evidence.
The judge found that although nobody had directly witnessed
the killing, the prosecution had presented sufficient and credible
circumstantial evidence linking Uwa to Eziokwu’s death. The court also rejected
the claim of self-defence in the circumstances of the case.
Although the court found that the evidence established Uwa’s
responsibility for the death, it convicted him of manslaughter rather than murder and sentenced him to life
imprisonment, bringing the long-running criminal proceedings to a conclusion.
Government warns against self-help in
land disputes
The prosecution was led by Ifeanyi Oguejiofor, Esq., Chief State Counsel, assisted by I.J. Ugboaja, Esq., Principal State Counsel,
who presented the state’s case before the Awka Judicial Division.
The judgment has also renewed attention on the danger of
turning land disagreements into personal confrontations, particularly where
traditional or family decisions over ownership are disputed by those affected.
Barrister Nonso Emeka,
Secretary of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Anambra State Chapter,
said the case reinforced the position of the state Attorney-General and
Commissioner for Justice, Barrister
Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN.
Emeka said the Attorney-General had directed that people
involved in land disputes should pursue civil remedies, including actions
seeking a declaration of title, rather than resorting to self-help or
attempting to criminalise what may fundamentally be civil claims.
Post a Comment