Court sentences armed robber to death by hanging in Nasarawa

A High Court in Nasarawa State has sentenced Saidu Idi to death by hanging for his role in the brutal killing of a Kokona Local Government resident during an armed robbery operation in 2015.

The judgment was delivered by the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Aisha Mohammed Usman, who found the defendant guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable by death, after ruling that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Confirming the verdict, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Nasarawa State, Isaac Danladi, said the long-running case involved charges of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide under the relevant laws of the federation. While the court discharged the defendant on the conspiracy charge, it convicted him on the remaining counts.

“At the end of the proceedings, judgment was delivered. Though the defendant was cleared of criminal conspiracy, he was found guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide and consequently sentenced to death by hanging,” Danladi stated.

He described the ruling as a strong affirmation that justice can be achieved without fear or favour, adding that the judgment would serve as a deterrent to violent crimes across the state.

According to the prosecution, the victim, Hardo Adamu Buli, was attacked during a robbery in Kokona Local Government Area. He was reportedly shot in the navel before his attackers dispossessed him of his valuables and money.

The court held that the killing occurred in the course of the robbery, a fact clearly established during the trial.

In her judgment, Justice Usman maintained that the evidence presented linked Saidu Idi directly to the unlawful killing and that the sentence imposed was in line with the provisions of Nasarawa State’s criminal laws.

The verdict brings closure to a case that had lingered for nearly a decade and has been widely seen as a strong signal of the judiciary’s determination to uphold the rule of law.

The Nasarawa State Government has reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, warning that perpetrators of armed robbery and other violent crimes will continue to face the full weight of the law.