A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has sentenced 24-year-old Dahiru Yusuf Abbah to death by hanging for killing his father, Dahiru Yusuf, in the Sarkin-Noma area of the state capital.
Justice M. M. Gwatana found Abbah guilty of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Kogi State Penal Code, 2019. The court, however, dismissed a separate charge of criminal conspiracy.
Defence lawyers Mohammed S. Inuwa and Mohammed S. Maihaja said their client would appeal, disputing the admissibility of evidence relied upon in reaching the verdict.
Father Died Four Days After Attack
The case arose from an attack on October 5, 2024. According to prosecution counsel M. Abaji, Abbah stabbed his father in the chest and back.
The victim was taken to hospital and died on October 9, 2024, from the injuries sustained.
Abbah was subsequently arraigned on charges of culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy under Sections 221 and 97(1) of the state Penal Code in case number HCL/01C/2025.
Court Relied on Circumstantial Evidence
The prosecution called nine witnesses, including the deceased’s wife, Hajia Jumai Dahiru, and the defendant’s siblings, Nafisat Dahiru and Auwwal Dahiru.
Items tendered before the court included the defendant’s blood-stained shirt, the deceased’s blood sample, a knife, a digital forensic report and a CD analysis.
Justice Gwatana noted that none of the prosecution witnesses directly witnessed the stabbing. Nevertheless, the judge held that the circumstantial evidence, including the clothing and family members’ testimonies, established guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge also considered testimony from an Islamic cleric concerning inheritance but ruled that it was irrelevant to the homicide proceedings.
Three people identified by the defendant as potential alibi witnesses — a tea seller known as Mai Shai, Aunty Ladidi and Danladi — did not appear to testify, according to the court’s account.
The treatment of evidence has also featured in other cases covered by The Bureau Journal, including a Kebbi High Court decision dismissing criminal charges after the prosecution failed to establish its case.
Conspiracy Charge Dismissed
Justice Gwatana ruled that the prosecution proved culpable homicide but did not present sufficient evidence to establish criminal conspiracy.
The death sentence therefore followed the homicide conviction, while the separate conspiracy charge was dismissed.
The distinction between allegations, evidence and judicial findings remains central to court reporting. The Bureau Journal previously examined a judge’s withdrawal from Ali Bello’s trial following evidence-tampering allegations, which concerned separate proceedings.
Defence Announces Appeal
Inuwa and Maihaja said they would challenge the judgment, arguing that the court relied on evidence they considered inadmissible.
Abbah maintained his innocence and appealed for clemency. The lawyers’ announcement represents an intention to appeal; it does not establish that an appeal has already been filed.
Appellate decisions can determine whether lower-court rulings stand. In a separate civil matter, The Bureau Journal reported on the Court of Appeal’s reversal of a Lokoja judgment concerning NDC registration.
Other legal disputes currently attracting attention in Kogi include the suit seeking four-year terms for elected local government officials and the challenge to Yahaya Bello’s Kogi Central senatorial nomination.
Deceased’s Family Welcomes Judgment
The head of the deceased’s family, Yusuf Bala, welcomed the verdict, saying the family wanted justice rather than personal retaliation.
“We have nothing against the defendant, but we wanted justice to be done to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
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