A Kano State High Court has sentenced four men to death by hanging after finding them guilty of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide under Sections 97 and 221(b) of the Penal Code.
The convicted men — Abubakar Sadiq (also known as Alhaji Sallari), Abdulmajid Jibrin, Nasiru Sani, and Yusuf Sani — were held responsible for the killing of Rilwanu Ilyasu, popularly known as Nanu, a mechanic who operated a garage in Farawa Layout, Kano. Two additional suspects connected to the crime, identified as Nura Farin Boss and Dan Bayo, are still on the run.
Prosecutors told the court that the attackers stormed the victim’s residence on April 13, 2016, and used an axe and other weapons to inflict fatal injuries on Ilyasu. The assault was reportedly motivated by an earlier dispute in which the first defendant accused the deceased of giving information to NDLEA officials that led to his arrest and the seizure of drugs and ₦27,000.
The prosecution team, led by Safiya Yalwati Yahaya of the Kano State Ministry of Justice, presented eight witnesses and tendered multiple exhibits, including the axe used in the attack. After reviewing the evidence, the court convicted all four defendants and imposed the death penalty.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the judgment reinforces the government’s commitment to ensuring justice and promoting fairness, accountability, and the rule of law under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration and the Attorney General, Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude, SAN.
