A Kano State High Court sitting in Bompai has sentenced two young men to 14 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine after finding them guilty of culpable homicide.
The court, presided over by Justice Hadiza Sulaiman, delivered the judgment on Monday, April 27, 2026, after concluding trial proceedings.
The Kano State Government had arraigned the defendants, Nafi’u Garba and Abdulmajeed Garba, both residents of Dakata in Nasarawa Local Government Area, on charges of criminal conspiracy and homicide.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on March 16, 2019, at about 8:15 p.m., following a dispute between the deceased, identified as Surajo, and Nafi’u Garba over a marriage-related issue. The altercation reportedly escalated after the deceased slapped Nafi’u, provoking him to mobilise a group of youths.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants and others attacked Surajo, inflicting injuries that led to his death.
During the trial, the prosecuting counsel, Lamido Abba Soron Dinki, presented three witnesses whose testimonies the court described as credible and convincing. The defendants, however, denied the charges and presented their defence, which the court subsequently dismissed.
Justice Sulaiman held that the prosecution had successfully proved the offence of conspiracy and culpable homicide. However, the court reviewed the circumstances of the case and the ages of the defendants said to be about 16 years at the time of the incident and amended the charge from Section 221 to Section 224 of the Penal Code.
The judge noted that the killing arose from a fight rather than a premeditated act, which informed the reduction in the charge.
Consequently, the court sentenced both defendants to 14 years in a correctional facility without the option of a fine.
