RismadarVoice Reporters
October 5, 2026
An Anambra State High Court has sentenced a man, Silas Uwa, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of his uncle during a family land dispute.
Justice Okechukwu Nwabunike of the Awka Judicial Division delivered the judgment on Monday in the case marked A/63C/2018.
The prosecution told the court that Uwa and his uncle had been involved in a dispute over ownership of a parcel of land in Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area.
According to the prosecution, their kindred had earlier determined that the disputed land belonged to the deceased, but Uwa and his siblings rejected the decision.
Prosecutors alleged that Uwa later confronted his uncle while he was working on the disputed farmland, leading to a confrontation in which the older man was killed.
The prosecution, led by Chief State Counsel Ifeanyi Oguejiofor alongside Principal State Counsel Ijeoma Ugboaja, presented four witnesses, including the investigating police officer.
Uwa’s defence argued that the prosecution had failed to establish murder beyond reasonable doubt, particularly because there was no eyewitness to the incident. The defence also relied on a claim of self-defence.
In his judgment, Justice Nwabunike held that a homicide case could be established through direct evidence, a confessional statement or credible circumstantial evidence.
The judge found that although there was no direct eyewitness testimony, the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution sufficiently established Uwa’s responsibility for his uncle’s death.
The court rejected the defendant’s claim of self-defence but convicted him of the lesser offence of manslaughter rather than murder.
Uwa was consequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case has also renewed calls for individuals involved in land and other civil disputes to seek legal remedies rather than resort to violence or self-help.
