Kogi High Court hands down death penalty to Halilu for abducting Uche Andrew Offo from Obajana hotel, collecting ransom, then murdering him after victim recognized his captor
A Kogi State High Court has sentenced a man to death by hanging for the kidnapping and murder of his neighbour, Uche Andrew Offo, in a case that exposed the chilling brutality of ransom-related killings.
Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu convicted Halilu on Tuesday on charges of conspiracy and kidnapping, offences that contravene sections 12, 6 (1), and 4 (3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023.
The Deadly Abduction
According to the Department of State Services (DSS) prosecutor, Halilu and members of his armed gang stormed Ever Ready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana town, on March 23, 2023, and abducted Offo, the hotel proprietor.
The victim’s family reportedly paid the demanded ransom, but the kidnappers still killed him.
The Fatal Recognition
A DSS source revealed that while in captivity, Offo recognized Halilu as his neighbour a discovery that sealed his fate. The kidnappers murdered him to prevent identification and possible prosecution.
Another Kidnapping Uncovered
Further DSS investigations also linked Halilu and his gang to the April 2, 2023 abduction of Ibrahim Abdullahi, a resident of Oshokoshoko community in Lokoja. The gang collected a N5 million ransom from Abdullahi’s family.
Similar Sentences Across Nigeria
The verdict follows a pattern of tough sentencing in kidnapping and terrorism cases nationwide:
· A Katsina high court recently sentenced Hauwa’u Mukhtar, a female arms courier, to death by hanging for conspiracy to commit and aiding terrorism after her arrest by DSS operatives.
· In June, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted four individuals for their involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The suspects Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar were arraigned on August 11, 2022, on a nine-count terrorism charge, with four ultimately convicted on all counts.
