Nigerian faces life sentence for Toronto murder of homeless man

A 31-year-old Nigerian man, Adimabua Chukwuka, is facing a possible life sentence after being charged with the first-degree murder of a 60-year-old homeless man, Mario Ferreira, in Toronto, Canada.

It was gathered on Tuesday that Chukwuka was arrested last Friday by the Toronto Police Service’s 52 Division following a tip from the public.

Authorities allege that Chukwuka attacked Ferreira without provocation, leading to the victim’s death.

According to reports, police responded to a call from the University of Toronto Campus Safety Special Constables on March 20 regarding an unconscious man near 144 College St. Emergency responders, including officers, firefighters, and paramedics, arrived at the scene, but Ferreira was pronounced dead.

Detective Trevor Grieve emphasized the police department’s commitment to justice, stating, “We are committed to bringing justice to Mr. Ferreira and his loved ones.”

He urged anyone with information to come forward, adding, “We are asking anyone who may have seen something, no matter how small, to call immediately.”

Homicide investigators released a photo of the suspect on March 21, and shortly afterward, Chukwuka was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder.

Grieve explained that security footage showed the victim lying on a bench near 6 Queen’s Park Crescent around 5:20 a.m. when the suspect armed himself with debris, possibly from a construction site or dumpster.

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“Without warning or provocation, the suspect approaches Mr. Ferreira, who is lying on the bench, and uses that debris to assault him repeatedly and violently,” Grieve said. “He then fled the area holding the debris he used to commit the assault.”

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Investigators continue to gather evidence and review security footage. “We are continuing to canvas for additional video and information,” Grieve added, urging anyone with relevant footage to contact the police.

Under Canadian law, Section 235 (1) of the Criminal Code stipulates that anyone convicted of first-degree or second-degree murder faces a mandatory life sentence.

The law states, “Everyone who commits first-degree murder or second-degree murder is guilty of an indictable offence and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life.”

Furthermore, it clarifies that “the sentence of imprisonment for life prescribed by this section is a minimum punishment.”

If convicted, Chukwuka will face life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years, as mandated by Canadian law.