A Kano High Court has sentenced two men, Aliyu Hussaini and Amir Zakariyya, to death by hanging for the brutal killing of Buhari Imam, a lecturer at Northwest University, Kano.
The presiding judge, Justice Fatima Adamu, delivered the judgment on Monday, declaring that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court found the defendants guilty on a three-count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide.
The charges were brought against them by the Kano State government.
Justice Adamu noted that the men’s actions showed a “total disregard for human life” and stressed that the evidence before the court was overwhelming.
“The convicts are hereby sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and 10 years’ imprisonment each for robbery without an option of fine.
For culpable homicide, they are sentenced to death by hanging. May God have mercy on them,” the judge declared.
Earlier in the trial, the prosecution counsel, Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, told the court that the crime took place on June 11, 2024, at Sheka Sabuwar Abuja Quarters in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to him, at about 3:30 a.m. on the day of the incident, the defendants conspired and armed themselves with dangerous weapons, including long knives and machetes.
He said they attacked and robbed the university lecturer, Buhari Imam, of his mobile phone before stabbing him multiple times in the stomach, thigh, and back, leading to his death.
The prosecutor presented three witnesses to testify against the defendants.
The court also admitted medical reports and photographs of the deceased as exhibits.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, the convicts denied committing the offence.
Their counsel, Haruna Saleh-Zakariyya, presented them to testify in their defence and pleaded with the court for leniency.
However, the judge maintained that the testimonies and forensic evidence provided by the prosecution were convincing and sufficient to establish guilt.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravene Sections 97(1), 298(c), and 221(a) of the Penal Code Laws of Kano State.
Justice Adamu’s verdict marks the end of a high-profile murder case that shocked the academic community in Kano, as colleagues of the late lecturer had demanded justice since his death.