Kano—A High Court in Kano has delivered a stark judgment, sentencing two men, Aliyu Hussaini and Amir Zakariyya, to death by hanging for the calculated murder of a university lecturer. The victim, Buhari Imam, who taught at Northwest University, Kano, was brutally killed during a robbery at his residence.
Justice Fatima Adamu, presiding over the court on Monday, found the defendants guilty on a trio of counts: conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.
In delivering the crushing sentence, Justice Adamu emphasised the severity of the crime, stating, “The action of the defendants shows total disregard for human life.”
For the lesser offences, the court pronounced five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and a further ten years’ imprisonment for armed robbery. However, the gravity of the ultimate charge necessitated the severest penalty.
“The convicts are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for culpable homicide. May God have mercy on them,” the Judge declared.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, informed the court that the premeditated crime unfolded in the early hours of June 11 at the lecturer’s home in Sheka Sabuwar Abuja Quarters, Kano.
The convicts, armed with dangerous weapons, including long knives and machetes, launched a violent assault on Mr. Imam at approximately 3:30 a.m. The court heard that during the robbery, the defendants stole the victim’s mobile telephone before causing his death by stabbing him repeatedly in the stomach, thigh, and back.
To secure the guilty verdict, the prosecution presented three key witnesses and tendered crucial forensic evidence, including medical reports detailing the fatal injuries and graphic photographs of the deceased.
Both Aliyu Hussaini and Amir Zakariyya denied committing the offence throughout the trial. Their lawyer, Mr. Haruna Saleh-Zakariyya, subsequently pleaded with the court for leniency before the sentencing was passed.
Nonetheless, the court was satisfied that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The offences were found to be in flagrant violation of Sections 97(1), 298(c), and 221(a) of the Penal Code Laws of Kano State, confirming the necessary legal justification for the death penalty.
