a court in Gambia has sentenced two Nigerian nationals to death by hanging

a court in Gambia has sentenced two Nigerian nationals to death by hanging for the murder of Ian Stokes, a Briton resident in the country. Stokes, a former chairman and member of the British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) who retired to the Gambia in 2002, was killed in May and dumped in the front seat of his car in Bakoteh. Police said he was stab several times on the lower abdomen with a knife. Michael Ifunaya Churwbiken and Stanley Agbazee Ugochukwu had both denied murdering Stokes during the trial. The court heard that Churwbiken was beaten, stamped on and burnt with cigarette butts while being questioned by police. A third accused, Collins Chijioke, was discharged and acquitted on grounds of lack of sufficient evidence. Handing down the sentences, the presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Nkea of the Special Criminal Court, said a lethal weapon was used to brutally inflict injuries thereby causing the death of Ian Stokes. He said Churwbiken and Ugochukwu had killed Stokes with malice-afore-thought and had intended to set fire on his dead body and car. “I cannot doubt that the prosecution has proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt against Churwbiken and Ugochukwu for the murder of the said Briton, the judge said.