A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced a convicted kidnapper to death by hanging for the murder of three victims during a violent abduction operation in the state, marking a significant outcome in efforts to combat kidnapping and related crimes in the North-West.
The convict, Ibrahim Usman, popularly known as Dan Iyali, was found guilty on charges linked to a 2023 attack in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Mohammed ruled that the prosecution successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court sentenced Usman to life imprisonment for kidnapping and imposed the death penalty for culpable homicide.
Court proceedings revealed that the convict and other suspects currently at large stormed Bare Village on September 9, 2023, armed with firearms and abducted several residents after shooting sporadically.
Investigations showed that the victims were later taken to Marmaro Forest in the Giayawa District, where three abductees — Alhaji Shuaibu Isah, Umar Usman and Adamu Haliru — were allegedly shot and killed.
Two other victims, Ahmad Alhassan and Abdulmalik Muazu, sustained gunshot injuries but survived after they were rescued by local vigilantes.
Security sources said Usman was arrested in May 2024 following intelligence-led operations and was subsequently arraigned under provisions of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law 2019 on charges including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide.
The conviction is regarded as part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to strengthen the prosecution of suspects linked to kidnapping and violent crimes.
Kidnapping-for-ransom has remained a major security concern across several northern states, prompting repeated calls for tougher enforcement measures and improved protection for vulnerable communities.
