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Tag: sentenced to death

  • FULL LIST: Five personalities sentenced to death by court in Nigeria

    FULL LIST: Five personalities sentenced to death by court in Nigeria

    The death penalty is authorised by Section 33 of the Constitution of Nigeria. Being sentenced to death means a court has officially ordered that a convicted individual be executed as punishment for a crime.

    This is a legal penalty for certain serious offences, primarily those involving murder, treason, and armed robbery.

    The death sentence is carried out by the state after a court of competent jurisdiction finds the person guilty.

    In the past few years, many individuals convicted by the court have remained on death row, and while governors in Nigeria are not very open to signing death warrants. These people are one signature away from losing their lives.

    Bamise Ayanwola and Andrew Ominikoron case

    In April 2025, the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square convicted and sentenced to death a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Andrew Ominikoron, for the murder of a 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Sherifat Sonaike held that the prosecution successfully proved its case, relying on the doctrine of “last seen” and the victim’s dying declaration to establish Ominikoron’s guilt.

    Ominikoron faced a five-count charge, including conspiracy to commit a felony, rape, sexual assault, and murder. He was found guilty on all counts.

    The case captured national attention in 2022 after Bamise went missing on February 26, following her boarding of a BRT bus operated by Ominikoron at the Ajah area of Lagos. Her mysterious disappearance ignited public outrage, social media campaigns, and demands for justice.

    Nine days later, her body was tragically discovered dumped under the Carter Bridge on Lagos Island.

    Soldier and girlfriend’s murder

    A General Court Martial sitting at the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, sentenced Private Adamu Mohammed to death by hanging for murder.

    The sentence was handed down following the conclusion of his murder trial.

    A statement on Tuesday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu said the court martial composed of 11 members, was inaugurated on February 18, 2025, by the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye, to adjudicate cases involving erring personnel within the Division.

    Delivering judgment on Private Mohammed, the President of the court, Brigadier General Sadisu Buhari, said the soldier was found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, Miss Hauwa Ali, an offence punishable under Section 106(a) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    Read Also: Court sentences BRT driver to death for rape, murder of female passenger

    Osinachi’s husband was sentenced to death by hanging for murder

    A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Wuse Zone 2 sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging following his conviction for her murder.

    Judge Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, delivering her judgment on Monday, found Peter Nwachukwu guilty of culpable homicide in connection with the death of his wife, Osinachi, on April 8, 2022.

    Osinachi, who tragically passed away on April 8, 2022, was initially believed to have died from throat cancer.

    The federal government brought a 23-count charge against Nwachukwu, including culpable homicide punishable by death, criminal intimidation, child cruelty, spousal abuse, and other offences.

    The trial, which began on June 20, 2022, and concluded on March 10, 2023, saw 17 witnesses testify for the prosecution. The accused’s children also gave testimony as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5.

    Hanifa Abubakar’s case

    On the 28th day of July 2022, Justice Usman Naabba of the Kano State High Court sentenced the Proprietor of Noble Kids College Kano, Abdulmalik Muhammmad Tanko (38), and two others to death by hanging for the kidnapping and killing of Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil.

    Tanko, alongside his accomplice, Hashim Isyaku and Fatima Musa, were arraigned before the Kano State High Court on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, 221 of the penal code.

    Tanko kidnapped and killed Hanifa, a five-year-old pupil, on 4 December 2021, while she was returning from Islamiyya School and subsequently buried her in a shallow grave.

    The judge, Usman Nababa, sentenced Mr Tanko, 38, and Hashimu Isyaku, 38, to death by hanging for the kidnapping and killing of Hanifa Abubakar.

    The convicts were sentenced to five years each for conspiracy.

    Ramon Adedoyin

    Ramon Adedoyin, the owner of Hilton Hotels in Ile-Ife, has also been sentenced to death by the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, for his role in the murder of Obafemi Awolowo University graduate student Timothy Adegoke.

    This verdict upholds a lower court’s earlier decision and brings a measure of closure to a case that has gripped the nation. The appellate court had reserved judgment on the matter since 29 October 2024.

    The Appeal Court judgement reads: “The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part. The Court of Appeal held that Adedoyin was properly convicted and sentenced to death.”

    The appeal court, however, set aside some of the decisions of the lower court.

    “Order of forfeiture of Hilton Hotel quashed and set aside. Order of education scholarship to children of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and set aside,” the judgment read.

    Sunday Jackson

    In 2015, Jackson, a 29-year-old farmer and student from Dong Communi­ty in Demsa LGA of Adamawa, was working on his farm in Kodomti Community, Numan LGA, when Buba Ardo Bawuro, a herdsman, herded his cattle into his farm to feed on his crops.

    Jackson challenged him, but the herdsman pulled out a knife and attacked him twice.

    Although wounded, Jackson was able to seize the knife and stab him in return. Bawuro later died from his wounds.

    The police arrested and tried the farmer for culpable homicide in the Yola High Court. The charge carried a death sentence under Section 211 of the penal code.

    In court, Jackson admitted that his attacker died at his hands, but he maintained his innocence of any crime.

  • Robbers sentenced to death attack journalists

    A state High Court in Adamawa State has sentenced eight robbers to death by hanging.

    But the condemned robbers reacted violently by attacking journalists covering the judgment.

    The affected journalists, one from the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the other from Adamawa State Television (ATV), were cameramen filming the convicts, who were handcuffed in pairs, but who managed to get hold of pebbles around the court premises and inflicted injuries on the cameramen.

    The cameramen and other people around the place were saved from further harm by prison officials drafted to provide security.

     

     

  • Late monarch’s wife sentenced to death

    A High Court in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, has sentenced the wife of the late first-class monarch in the state, Amina Zubairu, to death by hanging.

    Justice Aisha Bashir of the Nasarawa State High Court 2, delivering judgment yesterday, said the accused was found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced her to death by hanging.

    The late Alhaji Adamu Zubairu was until his death in February 2014 the traditional ruler of the ‘Gom Mama’ of Kwarra chiefdom in Wamba Local Government.

    The police said the circumstances leading to the death of the traditional ruler was suspicious and a search conducted on the scene showed that the victim could have been murdered, as a poisonous substance and a syringe were recovered from the compound.

    Amina, being the prime suspect and a wife of the monarch was arrested and charged to court for culpable homicide, having been linked to the death of her husband.

    Read also: Oshiomhole accuses opposition of spreading falsehood

    Reacting to the judgment, prosecution counsel Jibrin Aboki, who hailed the judgment, said it would deter others.

    The eldest son of the late monarch, Abdullahi Zubairu, hailed the judgement.

    Counsel to the accused, Shekama Sheltu, expressed dissatisfaction about the judgment.

    He said his client would appeal it.

     

     

  • Killers of minister’s uncle sentenced to death by hanging

    Killers of minister’s uncle sentenced to death by hanging

    A Delta State High Court sitting in Issele-Uku has sentenced to death killers of 75-year-old Diokpa Felix Boise.

    The late Boise was uncle to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.

    Thirty-two-year-old Sunday Luka, a driver; Danjuma Kaika, 37; and Luka Agu, 33, killed the victim in his farm on June 9, 2014, and stole away his Kia Rio vehicle.

    The defendants, who used to be labourers in the deceased farm, were charged to court on a four-count charge.

    Justice C.I. Ogisi, while delivering the verdict, said the punishment for their offence was mandatory, and had no discretionary power to mitigate the sentence.

    Ogisi, who sentenced the first and second accused on all four counts charge, however, discharged the third on counts two and four. But he was sentenced on counts one and three.

    Justice Ogisi held that the court agreed with the prosecution counsel, Pollen-Ezeana-Ejiofor Esq, who urged the court to convict the defendants.

    Earlier, the prosecutor said Boise was attacked with woods and other weapons, and his body thrown into a deep dry well.

    The court also heard that two of the defendants used logs and cement blocks to cover the body in the well and took his Kia to Nasarawa State.

    He said that they were arrested while trying to sell the car.

    The deceased’s eldest daughter, Mrs. Magdaline Nkechi Esenwa, who was in court, was satisfied with the judgment. She rolled on the ground in happiness.

    Esenwa described the judgment as justice for her late father, who was kind and caring even to his killers

  • UNIPORT four: Sergeant, two others to die

    UNIPORT four: Sergeant, two others to die

    Justice Letam Nyordee of  Rivers State High Court yesterday convicted and sentenced to death an ex-Police Sergeant, Lucky Orji, and two others for the murder of four students of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) at Aluu, a university village in Ikwerre Local Government Area, on October 5, 2012.

    Other persons sentenced with Sergeant Orji are David Chinasa Obada and Ikechukwu L. Amadi (a.k.a. Kapoo).

    Abiodun Yusuf, Joshua Egbe, Cyril Abam and John Ayuu (a.k.a Jonny Barbar) were discharged and acquitted. The court said the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt a case of murder against them.

    Ugonna Obuzor (19), Tekena Elkanah(23), Lloyd Toku Mike(22), and Chiadika Biringa(23) were paraded naked and lynched by a pool of water beside a waste dump at Umokiri in Aluu. They were accused of stealing laptop and mobile handset, an allegation the court absolved them of.

    Twelve persons, including the paramount ruler, Alhaji, Hassan Welewa and Orji, were tried for their murder.

    Welewa and four others were charged for negligence to wit felony to prevent murder. They were granted bail in 2015 and discharged and acquitted in January.

    In the judgment, which lasted three hours, Justice Nyordee condemned the murder and blamed it mostly on the failure of security agencies, especially the police and army.

    Convicting the trio he said, “The murder of the four victims on October 5, 2012, at Umokiri is unjustified, uncalled for … I hereby find each of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants guilty of the offence in respects to counts one, two and four of the information filed and therefore convict each of them accordingly in line with Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 11, of Laws of Rivers State, 1999.

    “The death of the four victims in one whole act of the convicts and others at large cannot be justified. We are talking about the death of young people full of life, who were great hope for their families and society. The candles of their lives were abruptly and undeservedly and without a single thought lit out with mere breath against all societal expectations.

    “Their deaths and the hopes of their families and society and families are irreparable that is why we deemed it fit to invoke the maximum of Criminal Act in the case of prove murder which the court has sincerely unfolded.

    “Let me use this opportunity to say that what resulted to the unfortunate deaths of the victims in this case, is a combination of several unfortunate factors, including the ignorance of societal role in the preservation of communal lives, the shameful failure of security institutions…, that several security outfits around the vicinity of the scene of the murder of the four young men in this state was enough to guarantee their safety if they were committed to exhibit promptness to professional and lawful duties of protecting life and property.

    “No explanation can ever be seen or taken as reason why the security teams in the area, such as the police patrol team from Isiokpor division, the JTF, the c4i and the Aluu police post that were all armed at least minimally could not mobilise either individually or jointly to rescue the youth whose allegation that they were robbers could not be substantiated.

    “The deaths of these bright young men in the circumstance given shows how cheap human life is, even when compared to mere animals. It is also surprising to know why police officers who are claiming heavily in their official duties to protect lives in this state are not apprehended and sanctioned with criminal charge in a situation as grievous as this. It is still the sorry state of the affairs of the society.”

    The judge continued: “The conviction and sentence to the maximum tense will teach all men that human life is sacred, and should be respected and protected as commanded by God, the sole owner of life.

    “The case of the convicts is one of the deterrents to all other men to treat human life with utmost care and respect. Accordingly, the convicts deserve a maximum of the following. I hereby sentence ex-Sergeant Lucky Orji to death for the murder of the victims in this case. I also hereby sentence Ikechukwu Lois Amadi to death of the murder of the victims in this case. I  also sentence David Chinasa Obada for the murder of the same victims. May all the convicts herein receive the mercy of the creator of all lives, and may the Lord show you mercy, that is the sentence.”

    The father of one of the victms (Lloyd),  Mike Toku Mike,  said: “I am partially happy that the garment of robbery, criminality has been pulled off from the four young men that were murdered in Aluu. It is crystal clear that the boys were innocent, they did not steal or rob, but only went to the place to demand the money they were owed and they were falsely tagged and killed.

    “However, I would have been happier if the seven of them were convicted and sentenced, but the law did not see it like that but only three were sentenced, it is ok.

    “I thank God that after the trauma we went through, and the case lingering for so long a time, it is now over, that makes me happy.”

    The  Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ibikiri Otoribio, who led a team of state counsel to prosecute the case expressed satisfaction on the judgment., “justice has been done, we are satisfied”.

    Asked what will happen to those suspects at large, he said:

    “It is left to the police to do their duty. They should investigate the matter. It is not totally over yet. Anytime those of them still at large are apprehended, there is no time limit in capital offences. We will come up and prosecute.”