A resident of Narara Village in Ra convicted of brutally killing his daughter’s boyfriend in 2022 has been sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment.
Maika Nasara Bavou, 55, was convicted by the High Court in Ba for the murder of Saimoni Virai.
Court records reveal that Virai and Litia Nasara had been in a relationship for three years without Bavou’s knowledge.
On the day of the incident, Virai called out to Litia asking her to come outside of their home. She instead warned him to flee, prompting him to hide near a water tank, but Bavou spotted him and began brutally assaulting him.
Bavou then restrained Virai by tying his hands and legs behind his back and continued beating him with a guava stick before placing him on a horse to be taken to the police station.
During the journey, Bavou diverted to a secluded area where he tied a nylon rope around Virai’s neck and fastened the other end to a tree branch. When the horse moved, Virai fell headfirst and was left hanging, resulting in his death.
Bavou offered no assistance and stood by as Virai’s body remained suspended from the rain tree. He later returned home and told his family that Virai had taken the horse and left.
In his judgment last year, Justice Samuela Qica ordered that Bavou serve a minimum term of 18 years in jail before a pardon could be considered.
