A High Court in Kogi State has sentenced a man, Jibrin Halilu, to death after finding him guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping in connection with the abduction and killing of a hotel proprietor in Obajana.

Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu delivered the judgment on Tuesday, holding that the prosecution proved its case against Halilu under Sections 12, 6(1), and 4(3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023.

The case arose from the abduction of Uche Andrew Offo, proprietor of Everready Hotel, Angwa-Tiv, Obajana, on March 23, 2023.

Prosecutors told the court that Offo was kidnapped by an armed gang and that his family later paid ransom for his release.

Despite the ransom payment, the hotel proprietor was killed.

The prosecution said Halilu was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services on December 4, 2025, following investigations into the incident.

Evidence presented before the court also linked Halilu to another kidnapping incident involving a resident of Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja in April 2023.

The judgment came less than 24 hours after a court in Katsina State sentenced a woman to death over charges linked to arms trafficking.

It also followed a recent Federal High Court judgment in Abuja in which four men were convicted and sentenced over their roles in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where several worshippers were killed and many others injured.

The DSS described the convictions as part of ongoing efforts by security agencies and the judiciary to tackle serious crimes, including kidnapping, terrorism and violent offences, through investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law.

The latest judgment adds to recent court decisions imposing severe penalties for violent crimes across the country, amid renewed concerns over kidnapping, terrorism, arms trafficking and attacks on civilians.

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