Kogi Court sentences man to death for kidnapping, murder

By Soni Daniel

A High Court in Kogi State has sentenced a man, Jibrin Halilu, to death after finding him guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping in connection with the abduction and killing of a hotel proprietor in Obajana.

The judgment came less than 24 hours after a court in Katsina State imposed a death sentence on a woman convicted on charges related to arms trafficking. It also follows a recent Federal High Court judgment in Abuja involving convictions connected to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu held that the prosecution had proved its case against Halilu under Sections 12, 6(1), and 4(3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023, and sentenced him accordingly.

According to court proceedings, the case arose from the March 23, 2023 abduction of Uche Andrew Offo, proprietor of Everready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana. Prosecutors told the court that Offo was kidnapped by an armed gang and that a ransom was subsequently paid by his family. Despite the payment, Offo was later killed.

The prosecution further stated that Halilu was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 4, 2025, following investigations into the incident.

Evidence presented before the court also linked Halilu to another kidnapping incident involving a resident of Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja in April 2023, according to the prosecution.

Meanwhile, the recent Federal High Court judgment in Abuja resulted in the conviction and sentencing of four men over their roles in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, an incident that led to multiple deaths and injuries.

The DSS described the convictions as part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement and the judiciary to address serious crimes, including kidnapping, terrorism and violent offences, through investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law.

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