A High Court in Nasarawa State has sentenced an armed robbery convict, Saidu Idi, to death by hanging for the killing of Hardo Adamu Buli during a robbery attack in Kokona Local Government Area in 2015.
The death sentence was delivered by the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Aisha Mohammed Usman, after the court found Idi guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable by death.
The Nasarawa State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Isaac Danladi, confirmed the judgment shortly after proceedings concluded, noting that the case had dragged on for nearly a decade.
According to Danladi, the defendant was initially charged with criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide under the relevant laws of the federation. However, the court discharged him on the conspiracy charge while convicting him on the other two counts.
“At the end of the proceedings, judgment was delivered. While the defendant was discharged on the conspiracy charge, he was found guilty of armed robbery and culpable homicide and consequently sentenced to death by hanging,” Danladi said.
He described the ruling as a powerful statement that justice can be served without fear or favour, stressing that it would act as a deterrent to violent crime across the state.
Providing details of the crime, the Attorney General said the victim, Hardo Adamu Buli, was attacked during a robbery operation in Kokona LGA.
“The victim was first shot in the navel before he was dispossessed of his valuables and some amount of money,” he explained, adding that the killing occurred before the robbery was carried out, a fact clearly established during the trial.
In her judgment, Justice Usman ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, affirming that Saidu Idi was responsible for the unlawful killing of the deceased.
The court held that the sentence aligned with the provisions of the applicable criminal laws in Nasarawa State.
The judgment brings to an end a long-standing criminal case dating back to 2015 and has been widely viewed as a strong signal of the judiciary’s resolve to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for violent crimes.
The Nasarawa State Government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, warning that individuals involved in armed robbery and related offences would continue to face the full weight of the law.
