A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has sentenced 24-year-old Dahiru Yusuf Abbah to death by hanging for the murder of his father, Dahiru Yusuf.
Delivering judgment in suit number HCL/01C/2025, the presiding judge, Justice M. M. Gwatana, found Abbah guilty of culpable homicide under Section 221 of the Kogi State Penal Code, 2019.
The prosecution team, led by Barrister M. Abaji, proved that the convict stabbed his father in the chest and back on October 5, 2024, at their residence in the Sarkin-Noma area of Lokoja. The victim died from the injuries at a hospital on October 9, 2024.
Justice Gwatana, however, dismissed a separate charge of criminal conspiracy filed against the convict under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code due to insufficient evidence.
The prosecution presented nine witnesses, including the deceased’s wife, Hajia Jumai Dahiru, and two siblings of the convict, alongside physical exhibits including the murder weapon and forensic reports.
“Although none of the prosecution witnesses saw the defendant stab his father, the circumstantial evidence before this court is compelling and leaves no doubt as to the defendant’s guilt,” Justice Gwatana held.
Defence counsel Mohammed S. Inuwa and Mohammed S. Maihaja disclosed plans to appeal the judgment, contending that the trial court relied on inadmissible evidence.
Reacting to the judgment, the head of the victim’s family, Yusuf Bala, expressed satisfaction with the verdict.
“We have nothing personal against the defendant, but we wanted justice to be done to serve as a deterrent to others,” Bala stated.
