Appeal Court Kano Upholds Death Sentence For Kidnapper, As Jigawa High Court Sentences One To Ten Years For Sodomy

The Kano Court of Appeal  Division, in a judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Usman Musale, on Tuesday 21st December 2021 has upheld the judgment of a Jigawa High Court against one Datti Buba who was prosecuted for the offences of Criminal Conspiracy, Kidnapping, and Culpable Homicide Punishable with death contrary to Sections 97, 273 and 221 of the Penal Code Law, Cap P3, Laws of Jigawa State 2012. 

The facts of the case were that, the appellant (Datti Buba) and others sometimes around the month of January, 2017 criminally conspired, kidnapped and killed two children (Ori Umaru and Umaru). That, the appellant and others collected the sum of Three Million Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N3, 550, 000.00) from the parents of the deceased children as ransom but instead of releasing the children they killed them and shared the ransom. 

It was based on the above that the appellant together with two (2) others were on the 18th day of October, 2018 arraigned before the lower court. Upon plea of not guilty, the prosecution called a total of five witnesses and tendered four exhibits. On his side, the appellant as accused (like the remaining 2 accused persons) testified as a sole witness in his own defense and tendered no exhibit. 

At the end of the trial the second and the third accused persons were discharged whereas the appellant (as the 1st accused person) was found guilty, convicted and sentenced to death by hanging hence, the appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal Kano Division on the grounds that the trial court tried him without territorial jurisdiction. 

The Court of Appeal Kano Division in its well-considered judgment,  dismissed the appeal in its entirety and affirmed the decision of the trial court. 

In another judgment, the Jigawa High Court of Justice No. 4 sitting in Dutse, Presided by Justice Ahmad Muhammad Abubakar has on 12th December 2021 sentenced one Buba Muhammad to 10 years imprisonment for the offence of Criminal Conspiracy and Sodomy punishable under Section 97 and 284 of the Penal Code (Miscellaneous) Amendment No. 09 Laws of Jigawa State 2014.