Drama In Kogi Court As 24-Year-Old Son Gets D3ath Sentence For Father’s Murder

A High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has sentenced 24-year-old Dahiru Abbah to death by hanging for the killing of his father, Dahiru Yusuf.

The court found Abbah guilty of culpable homicide after concluding that the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that he inflicted the injuries that led to his father’s death.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the incident occurred in the Sarkin-Noma area of Lokoja on October 5, 2024, after which Abbah was arrested and subsequently arraigned before the court.

Delivering judgment on Monday, October 5, 2026, Justice M.M. Gwatana held that the prosecution had successfully established the offence under Section 221 of the Kogi State Penal Code, 2019.

The defendant was initially charged with culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy under Sections 221 and 97(1) of the same law in case number HCL/01C/2025.

Prosecuting counsel, Barrister M. Abaji, told the court in his written address that Abbah attacked his father and stabbed him in the chest and back.

He said the victim was later confirmed dead at a hospital on October 9, 2024, as a result of injuries sustained during the attack.

During the trial, the prosecution called nine witnesses, including the deceased’s wife, Hajia Jumai Dahiru, and the defendant’s siblings, Nafisat Dahiru and Auwwal Dahiru.

The prosecution also tendered several exhibits before the court, including the defendant’s blood-stained clothing, the deceased’s blood sample, a knife, a digital forensic report and a compact disc analysis.

Justice Gwatana noted that none of the prosecution witnesses directly witnessed Abbah stabbing his father. However, the judge held that the prosecution had established the defendant’s guilt through circumstantial evidence.

The court also noted that the defendant did not call any witness in his defence apart from an Islamic cleric whose testimony concerned inheritance matters. The judge dismissed the evidence as irrelevant to the criminal charge before the court.

“This is a case of culpable homicide, not an inheritance case,” the court held.

Justice Gwatana further observed that three individuals mentioned by the defendant as potential alibi witnesses, identified as a tea seller, Mai Shai, Aunty Ladidi and Danladi, did not appear before the court to testify.

The judge explained that criminal offences could be established through direct evidence, confessional statements or compelling circumstantial evidence, provided the prosecution met the required standard of proof.

He subsequently ruled that the combination of the defendant’s blood-stained clothing and the testimonies presented by key prosecution witnesses provided sufficient circumstantial evidence to establish the case beyond reasonable doubt.

“The prosecution has successfully proved the case of culpable homicide against the defendant,” Justice Gwatana ruled.

The court, however, dismissed the criminal conspiracy charge against Abbah, ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish the allegation.

Having found him guilty of culpable homicide, Justice Gwatana sentenced Abbah to death by hanging for the killing of his father.

Following the judgment, defence lawyers Mohammed S. Inuwa and Mohammed S. Maihaja said they respected the court’s decision but disclosed that their client would appeal.

The defence argued that the trial judge relied on what it described as inadmissible evidence in reaching the guilty verdict.

Meanwhile, the head of the deceased’s family, Yusuf Bala, welcomed the judgment, saying the family had sought justice rather than revenge.

“We have nothing against the defendant, but we wanted justice to be done to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.