A Kano State High Court on Tuesday sentenced Salisu Idris, a resident of Gayawa Quarters in Gaya Local Government Area, to death by hanging for setting fire to a house, killing a family of three. Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, delivering the judgment, ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting Idris on charges of abetment and culpable homicide.
The prosecution counsel, Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, informed the court that Idris committed the crime on September 25, 2019, at approximately 2 a.m. Alongside an accomplice, Aliyu Abdullahi-Anas, who remains at large, Idris set fire to the residence of Aminu Bala, aged 50, in Gayawa Quarters. The blaze killed Bala, his wife, and their two-year-old child. The prosecution presented two witnesses and Idris’s confessional statement as evidence, asserting that the act violated Sections 85 and 221 of the Penal Code.
Idris denied the allegations, and his defense counsel, Mustafa Hussaini, presented him to testify in his defense. However, Justice Adamu-Aliyu found the evidence compelling, stating, “I hereby sentence Idris to death by hanging for burning the victims alive.” The verdict has sparked discussions in Kano about the use of capital punishment and the need for enhanced community vigilance to prevent such atrocities. The defense has indicated plans to appeal the ruling, citing concerns over the severity of the sentence.
