The Zamfara State High Court has sentenced Abdulshakur Tukur and Abdullahi Buba to death by hanging after convicting them of conspiracy and the murder of Ahmad Yakubu.
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The Chief Judge of Zamfara State, Justice Kulu Isa Aliyu, delivered the judgment after reviewing the evidence and testimonies presented by both the prosecution and the defence.
The court found that the two defendants participated in the killing of Yakubu in the Barakallahu area of Gusau on December 13, 2021.
Justice Aliyu convicted the defendants of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code and sentenced them to death by hanging.
The court also convicted both men of criminal conspiracy under Section 97 of the Penal Code and sentenced them to seven years’ imprisonment on that count.
The case attracted widespread public attention after police investigations into the disappearance and killing of Ahmad Yakubu led to the arrest of several suspects in late 2021 and early 2022.
Police had earlier said Yakubu was reported missing before his body was eventually discovered in an uncompleted building in the Barakallahu area of Gusau with some body parts removed.
The suspects were subsequently charged with offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and allegations relating to the removal and possession of human body parts.
Following the judgment on Thursday, Zamfara State prosecuting counsel, Kabiru Samaila, expressed satisfaction with the decision, maintaining that the prosecution had placed sufficient evidence before the court to establish the offences against the convicted defendants.
Defence counsel Zakari Abubakar, however, said his team would carefully study the judgment before deciding on the next legal step, including whether to challenge the convictions and sentences on appeal.
The court also determined the position of other persons initially linked to the case.
Proceedings against Aminu Baba, who had been accused of purchasing parts removed from the victim’s body, were struck out following his death while in custody.
Another defendant, Ahmad Tukur, was discharged and acquitted after the court found that the prosecution had failed to produce sufficient evidence linking him to the murder.
The case first gained national attention in January 2022 when the suspects were arraigned before a magistrates’ court on allegations of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and cannibalism before the substantive murder proceedings were transferred to the High Court.
TNL had at the time reported the arrest of Aminu Baba, Abdulshakur Tukur, Abdullahi Buba and Ahmad Tukur after police linked them to the killing and removal of body parts from Ahmad Yakubu.
With Thursday’s judgment, Tukur and Buba now face execution by hanging unless the convictions or sentences are overturned through the appellate process.
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