LOKOJA — In a stern ruling delivered on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Kogi State High Court has sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death for his role in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of his neighbor, Uche Andrew Offo, a hotel proprietor in Obajana.

Presiding Judge, Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu, found the defendant guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping. The court’s judgment stated that the actions of Halilu and his armed gang were in direct violation of Sections 12, 6 (1), and 4 (3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023.

Case Background

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on March 23, 2023, when Halilu and his criminal associates stormed the Everready Hotel located in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana. During the operation, they abducted the proprietor, Mr. Offo. Despite the victim's family fulfilling the gang's demand for a ₦2.5 million ransom, the kidnappers proceeded to murder him.

The defendant was eventually apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 4, 2025, leading to his successful prosecution.

A Pattern of Capital Sentences

This verdict follows a series of recent high-profile capital sentences across Nigeria. Notably, just 24 hours earlier, a High Court in Katsina State handed down a death sentence to a female arms courier apprehended by the DSS.

Furthermore, on June 3, 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four individuals Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris to death by hanging. The group was found guilty for their involvement in the June 5, 2022, terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the loss of over 40 lives and left more than 100 people injured.

The string of recent judgments highlights a tightening judicial response to rising insecurity, violent crime, and terrorism-related offenses across the country.