A High Court in Kano State has handed down the death penalty to two men convicted of murdering Buhari Imam, a lecturer at Northwest University, Kano.
Justice Fatima Adamu delivered the verdict on Monday, sentencing Aliyu Hussaini and Amir Zakariyya to death by hanging after finding them guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.
“The prosecution has proven the case beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge declared. She added that the defendants had shown “total disregard for human life.”
In addition to the death sentence, both men received five years in prison for conspiracy and 10 years for robbery, with no option of a fine.
According to prosecution lawyer Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, the crime occurred on 11 June at around 3:30 a.m. in Sheka Sabuwar Abuja Quarters. The court heard that Hussaini and Zakariyya armed themselves with knives and a machete, attacked Imam, stole his mobile phone and fatally stabbed him in multiple parts of his body.
Three witnesses were called to testify, and medical evidence and photographs were submitted to support the prosecution’s case.
Despite pleading not guilty, the defendants were convicted under Sections 97(1), 298(c) and 221(a) of the Kano State Penal Code.
Defence lawyer Haruna Saleh-Zakariyya presented the men to testify in their own defence and appealed for mercy, but the court upheld the maximum sentence.
