23 year old Nigerian sentenced to life in prison in Liberia.
By Wellington Railey

Photo on Flickr by Yiyo

The presiding judge of criminal court D Emmanuel K.Ware on July 29 sentenced a Nigerian youth Chuku Diwl Afika to life imprisonment following a unanimous jury verdict brought against the defendant last week.

The court action was accepted with joy from family members and observers of slain Joshua Teajay Dennis, a Liberian who was killed following a scuffle with the defendant and other unidentified Nigerian nationals at the big Apple Night Club Gobachop Junction, Red-Light early this year.

In his final judgment, Judge Ware asked the defendant to make a comment if he had any, but Afika declined stating, “I have no comment to make”.

The presiding judge disclosed that defendant Afika, when arraigned on March 8, 2009 pleaded not guilty to an indictment that links him to the act of killing Denis.

Following his stance on the indictment, Judge Ware said that the court empanelled 15 jurors to determine facts from the case-prosecution and defense Counsels.

During the trial, Judge Ware said that the prosecution and the defense were given the chance to produce evidence in the matter adding that the prosecution produced three witnesses –a police officer, a pathologist and a civilian while the defense counsel on the their part produced three witnesses Afika, Police commander and a Nigerian who denied having knowledge about the case.

After gathering facts of the trial, Judge Ware said that the jurors, following the final argument brought down a guilty verdict against the Defendant Afika who completely cleared himself from committing the act.

Supporting the verdict Judge Ware described it as “corroborative with the evidences adduced in the trial “and sentenced the convict to life imprisonment.

He realized that the action will send a signal to all those who violate human rights by killing and ordered that the defendant should be imprisoned at the Monrovia Central Prison or any other correction palace in the country.

Meanwhile, the prosecution counsel thanked the judge for rendering what they described as a fair trial in the matter while the defense counsel is expected to appeal the ruling by filing a motion for redress in at the Country’s Supreme Court.

The prosecution was led by Att.Witness Doyen, Assistant County Attorney for Montserrado County while Cllr. A.D. Bayorgar, Jr represented the legal interest of the defendant Afika in the case.