Kogi Court Sentences Man to Death for Kidnap and Murder

On Tuesday, a Kogi State High Court, presided by Justice Abdul Nicodemu Awulu, sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death for the kidnapping and murder of Uch Andrew Offo, a hotel proprietor in Obajana. The incident occurred on March 23, 2023, when Halilu, a member of an armed gang, abducted Offo despite the family paying a ransom of N2.5 million.

The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025, after investigations linked him to the crime. The court found Halilu guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, violating the Kogi State Kidnap Related Offences Prohibition Law of 2023.

The ruling follows a recent trend of severe penalties for violent crimes in Nigeria, including a death sentence for four men involved in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in 40 deaths and over 100 injuries.