A High Court in Kogi State has sentenced a man to death for kidnapping and murdering his neighbour, barely 24 hours after a court in Katsina State imposed the death penalty on a female arms courier arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The latest conviction came less than two weeks after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men to death over the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu of the Kogi State High Court, on Tuesday, found Jibrin Halilu guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping under Sections 12, 6(1) and 4(3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023, and sentenced him to death.
According to the prosecution, Halilu and members of his armed gang stormed Ever Ready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana, on March 23, 2023, and abducted its proprietor, Uche Andrew Offo.
Despite receiving the N2.5 million ransom demanded from the victim’s family, the kidnappers allegedly killed Offo.
The DSS told the court that its operatives arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025, following investigations into the incident.
A source familiar with the case disclosed that investigations revealed that while in captivity, Offo recognised Halilu, who was his neighbour, as one of his abductors.
“That was when Halilu, despite collecting the N2.5 million ransom paid by Offo’s family, still killed him,” the source said.
The source added that further investigations linked Halilu and his gang to the April 2, 2023 abduction of Ibrahim Abdullahi from Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja, during which the gang allegedly collected a N5 million ransom.
The Kogi conviction followed a similar ruling delivered on Tuesday by a Federal High Court in Katsina State, which sentenced a female arms courier, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death by hanging after convicting her on terrorism-related charges in a case prosecuted by the DSS.
Earlier, on June 3, 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris — to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed more than 40 lives and left over 100 worshippers injured.
According to a source, the recent convictions underscore the security agency’s sustained prosecution of terrorism, kidnapping and violent crimes.
“These convictions send a clear message that individuals involved in terrorism, kidnapping and armed violence will not only be apprehended but will also face the full weight of the law,” the source said.
