The Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has sentenced two men to death by hanging for their roles in the kidnapping and armed robbery of a victim in Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
Justice Ahmed Aliyu Gegele delivered the judgment on Thursday, March 5, 2026, convicting Abubakar Sodiki and Abubakar Mohammed on a six-count charge that included criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms.
The judge ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, with clear evidence establishing the defendants’ involvement in the crimes.
According to the prosecution, the defendants conspired to abduct their victim, held him hostage, and demanded a ransom. The victim, Alhaji Saheed Arowasi from Boniya community in Baruten LGA, testified during the trial about his harrowing experience. He told the court that the kidnappers initially demanded N100 million but eventually accepted N10 million after negotiations, after which he was released.
Prosecution counsel Muslimah Suleiman maintained that the evidence presented sufficiently established the charges against the defendants.
Before sentencing, the court allowed the convicts to make their allocutus (plea for mercy). Counsel to the first defendant, Shu’aib Ibrahim, urged the court to temper justice with mercy. The first defendant personally begged for leniency, while the second defendant, represented by Barrister M.U. Mustapha, denied any involvement in the crimes and pleaded for discharge and acquittal.
The prosecution confirmed it had no record of prior criminal convictions against either defendant.
In his ruling, Justice Gegele acknowledged the pleas but stated that the court had no discretion in cases where the law prescribes a mandatory punishment. He sentenced the defendants to death by hanging on counts one and two (armed robbery), life imprisonment for kidnapping, and 10 years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms. The judge ordered that the sentences be executed in accordance with the law.
Counsel to the first defendant, Shu’aib Ibrahim, requested a certified true copy of the judgment to review it and determine the next course of action, including a possible appeal.
The trial began on April 29, 2025, with final addresses adopted on July 30, 2025, leading to Thursday’s judgment.
