AN Upper Shari’a Court in Kano has sentenced 38-year-old Shafi’u Abubakar to death by hanging for setting a mosque on fire during early morning prayers, an attack that killed 23 worshippers.
Justice Halhalatu Khuza’i-Zakariyya delivered the ruling yesterday, finding Abubakar guilty on four counts, including culpable homicide, attempted murder, causing grievous harm, and arson.
Alongside the death sentence, the court also ordered that the defendant receive 150 lashes for the additional offences.
The attack occurred on May 15, 2024, in Gadan Larabar Abasawa village, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. During the early morning prayers, Abubakar reportedly poured petrol inside the mosque and set it ablaze, targeting the worshippers inside.
“The burns on the defendant’s hands further confirm his role in the act,” the judge said.
The director of public prosecution, Salisu Tahir, told the court that the incident happened between 5:05 a.m. and 5:20 a.m., and submitted key evidence, including the defendant’s confessional statements in both English and Hausa, pictures of the victims, and eyewitness accounts.
Although the prosecution called seven witnesses, the court admitted testimonies from two: Pw4, Ibrahim Salisu, who saw the accused fleeing the scene, and Pw7, Abdullahi Sa’idu, a police officer who presented the confessional statement.
“The circumstantial evidence and confession are sufficient,” the judge concluded. The Court’s full sentence breakdown include:
Death by hanging for culpable homicide
100 lashes for attempted murder
₦1,500 fine and 50 lashes for arson
Confiscation and sale of Abubakar’s tricycle, with proceeds directed towards repairs of the damaged mosque
Justice Khuza’i-Zakariyya stated that Abubakar has 30 days to appeal the ruling.
The defence counsel Hasiya Muhammad-Imam pleaded for leniency, requesting that the convict be transferred to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Janguza.
However, the court upheld the full judgment, citing the gravity of the offence and the loss of innocent lives.
The tragic incident has reignited concerns over religious safety and the need for increased security in worship centres across Nigeria.