Abdulsalam Hammad
A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF to death by hanging for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.
The convicts are Gaji Hassan, Abdullahi Goni Gudusu and Modu Bukar. Justice Kabiru Muhammad delivered the judgement on Thursday, October 22, 2026 in Suit No. SS/78C/2026, The State vs Gaji Hassan and 2 Others.
The judgement was confirmed in a statement by the court’s Public Relations Officer, Nakwanta Muhammad Garba.
According to evidence before the court, the incident happened at about 4:30 p.m. on September 19, 2024 in Kagara village, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The court heard that the three CJTF members, armed with rifles, intercepted Babangida Nasiru and a female companion on the road and forcefully took them into a nearby bush.
They robbed Nasiru of N260,000 and kept him in their custody. He was later found dead with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and neck.
During trial, the prosecution called two witnesses, including the female companion who survived the attack. Justice Muhammad described her testimony as credible, consistent and unshaken under cross-examination.
The convicts claimed they released Nasiru after collecting the money. The court rejected this, holding they failed to give reasonable explanation of what happened to the victim who was last seen in their custody. The court invoked the legal principle of
The court also ruled that confessional statements made by the defendants were voluntary and admissible, noting their allegation of torture was not corroborated by any evidence.
Justice Muhammad held that the eyewitness testimony alone was sufficient to establish guilt and sentenced each convict to death by hanging in line with mandatory punishment under Sokoto State Penal Code Law, 2019
The court informed them of their right to appeal within 90 days at the Court of Appeal.
