A Kano State High Court has sentenced four men to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of Rilwanu Ilyasu, popularly known as Nanu, a mechanic who owned a garage at Farawa Layout, Kano.
The convicted men—Abubakar Sadiq (alias Alhaji Sallari), Abdulmajid Jibrin, Nasiru Sani, and Yusuf Sani—were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide punishable under Sections 97 and 221(b) of the Penal Code.
Delivering judgment, the court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Two other suspects, Nura Farin Boss and Dan Bayo, remain at large.
According to Barrister Safiya Yalwati, who led the prosecution, the brutal attack occurred on the night of April 13, 2016, when the defendants invaded Ilyasu’s residence armed with an axe and other deadly weapons.
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She told the court that the assault was motivated by suspicions that Ilyasu had informed NDLEA operatives, leading to the arrest of the first defendant and the seizure of illicit drugs and N27,000.
The attack left Ilyasu with fatal injuries, and despite efforts to save him, he died from the wounds.
The prosecution called eight witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including the murder weapon, to establish the culpability of the accused.
In his ruling, the judge condemned the act as a “premeditated and cold-blooded murder,” stressing that the evidence was overwhelming and the court had no reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendants.
He therefore sentenced all four men to death by hanging, a verdict that drew mixed reactions in the courtroom.
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Reacting to the judgment, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Maude Kabir (SAN), through his media aide Abubakar Tijjani Ibrahim, said the ruling underscores the state government’s firm stance on justice and accountability.
“This judgment reflects the continuing dedication of the Kano State Ministry of Justice to ensuring that justice is served in accordance with the law,” he said.
The case, which had dragged for nearly a decade, finally reached its conclusion—marking another landmark judgment in Kano’s fight against violent crime.