- Kwara High Court sentences two men to death for kidnapping and armed robbery.
- Convicts found guilty on six criminal charges, including illegal firearm possession.
- Victim testified kidnappers initially demanded ₦100 million ransom.
- Court ruled prosecution proved case beyond reasonable doubt.
A Kwara State High Court death sentence has been handed down to two men convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery after the court found them guilty of abducting a victim and demanding ransom in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced two men to death by hanging for their involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery.
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The ruling was delivered on Thursday, March 5, 2026, by Ahmed Aliyu Gegele.
The convicts, Abubakar Sodiki and Abubakar Mohammed, were found guilty on a six-count charge including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms.
Justice Gegele ruled that the prosecution successfully proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, stating that the evidence presented clearly showed the involvement of the defendants in the crimes.
During the trial, the victim, Saheed Arowasi, narrated how he was abducted and held captive by the kidnappers.
Arowasi, who is from the Boniya Community in Baruten Local Government Area, told the court that his captors initially demanded ₦100 million ransom for his release.
After negotiations, however, the kidnappers eventually agreed to accept ₦10 million before he was freed.
The prosecution counsel, Muslimah Suleiman, argued that the evidence presented during the trial sufficiently established the charges against the defendants.
Before sentencing, the court invited the convicts to make their final statements.
Counsel to the first defendant, Shu’aib Ibrahim, appealed to the court to show mercy in its judgment.
While the first defendant begged for leniency, the second defendant maintained his innocence and asked the court to discharge and acquit him. He was represented by M. U. Mustapha.
The prosecution, however, informed the court that it had no record of any previous criminal convictions against the defendants.
Despite the pleas, the court found both men guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.
