Kogi Court Orders Execution for Man Convicted of Kidnap, Murder of Neighbor

A High Court in Kogi State has sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death for the kidnapping and murder of his neighbor, a hotel proprietor in Obajana. The judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu, who found Halilu guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping.

The court's decision comes shortly after a Katsina State High Court sentenced a female arms courier to death and a Federal High Court in Abuja imposed the death penalty on four men involved in a terrorist attack. Halilu was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 4, 2025.

According to the prosecution, Halilu and his armed gang stormed Everready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana town, on March 23, 2023, abducting the proprietor, Uche Andrew Offo. Despite the family paying a N2.5 million ransom, Offo was killed. DSS investigations revealed that Offo identified Halilu, his neighbor, as one of his abductors while in captivity.

Further DSS investigations linked Halilu and his gang to another kidnapping in April 2023, where they collected a N5 million ransom from Ibrahim Abdullahi in Lokoja. A source familiar with the investigation stated that these convictions reinforce the message that perpetrators of terrorism, kidnapping, and armed violence will face severe consequences.