Two Men Sentenced to Death in Kano for Murdering Employer and Burning Body

A Kano State High Court has sentenced two men, Adamu Aliyu, 22, and Mubarak Abdulsalam, 20, to death by hanging for the murder of their employer, Dahiru Musa, 32. A third man, Sadiq Sunusi, 19, received a seven-year prison sentence for helping to burn the victim’s body to cover up the crime.

Justice Fatima Adamu announced the verdict, convicting Aliyu and Abdulsalam of conspiracy and homicide, while Sunusi was found guilty of aiding the crime. The judge described their actions, which included poisoning, stabbing, and burning the body, as cruel and inhumane.

The prosecution, led by Salisu Muhammad-Tahir, the Kano State Solicitor-General, stated that the murder occurred on September 29, 2024, in Gaida Yan Kusa Quarters, Kano. They claimed that Aliyu and Abdulsalam plotted to kill Musa, who was Aliyu’s employer, by poisoning him with rat poison and then stabbing him multiple times.

On September 30, 2024, Sunusi allegedly assisted Abdulsalam in buying petrol before they went to an unfinished building where Abdulsalam burned the body. Sunusi, knowing it was a human body, did not report the incident.

The prosecution presented five witnesses and various pieces of evidence, including knives and video recordings, to support their case. The defendants pleaded not guilty, and their lawyer, Mustafa Idris, asked the court for leniency.

Justice Adamu has given the convicts 90 days to appeal the decision if they wish to challenge it.