A Kano State High Court has sentenced two men to death by hanging for killing their employer, Dahiru Musa, 32, after poisoning and stabbing him.
The convicts, Adamu Aliyu, 22, and Mubarak Abdulsalam, 20, were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
The court also sentenced a third defendant, Sadiq Sunusi, 19, to seven years in prison for abetting the crime and burning the victim’s body.
Delivering judgment, Justice Fatima Adamu ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
She described the defendants’ actions, particularly the killing and subsequent burning of Musa’s body to conceal evidence, as inhumane and wicked.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Salisu Muhammad-Tahir, who is also the Kano State Solicitor-General, told the court that the incident occurred about two years ago at Gaida Yan Kusa Quarters, Kano.
He said Aliyu and Abdulsalam conspired to kill Musa, who employed Aliyu, by poisoning him with rat poison before stabbing him several times with knives.
Muhammad-Tahir further told the court that at about 6pm on the day of the incident, Sunusi escorted Abdulsalam to Gaida Quarters, where they bought petrol before heading to an uncompleted building.
According to the prosecution, Abdulsalam used the petrol to burn Musa’s corpse, while Sunusi, who knew the remains belonged to a human being, failed to report the incident to the authorities.
The prosecution called five witnesses and presented several exhibits, including knives, confessional statements and a video recording, to support its case.
The offences were prosecuted under Sections 97, 221 and 86 of the Penal Code.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Their counsel, Mustafa Idris, presented them as witnesses and appealed for leniency, urging the court to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Adamu reportedly granted the convicts 90 days to appeal the judgment if they were dissatisfied with the decision.
