A Kano State High Court, led by Chief Judge Justice Dije Aboki, handed down a verdict on Thursday, condemning five members of a vigilance group to death by hanging for their involvement in the extrajudicial killing of 17-year-old Ahmed Musa.
The convicted individuals, attached to the Sani Abacha Youth Centre, were identified as Emmanuel Korau, Elisha Ayuba, Irimiya Timothy, Auwalu Jafar, and Mustapha Haladu.
The prosecution, led by counsel Lamido Dinki, outlined that the convicted individuals committed the offense on January 22, 2022, at Sabon Titi, Panshekara, Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state. At approximately 10 a.m. on that day, the convicts conspired to attack Musa as he crossed Sabon Titi, Panshekara Road. The assailants, who disembarked from a tricycle, brutally assaulted the victim with a long wooden club when he attempted to evade them.
In an attempt to protect himself, the first defendant used a long sharp knife to stab Musa in the neck, dragged him on the ground, and then forcibly transported him away in their waiting tricycle. The victim sustained severe injuries and a swollen face during the ordeal.
The prosecution’s case was supported by five witnesses, while the defense, led by Ahmad Muhammad, denied the charges on behalf of the convicted persons.
Despite the defendants’ claims that they intended to arrest the deceased based on a lodged complaint, the presiding judge, Justice Aboki, expressed satisfaction with the evidence presented by the prosecution, led by Lamido Abba Soron Dinki. Justice Aboki commended the diligent prosecution, stating, “The prosecution has presented its case beyond reasonable doubt,” and subsequently sentenced the five defendants to death by hanging.
