A Gombe State High Court has sentenced two men, Buhari Sule and Muktari Ali Hilami, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of armed robbery and the murder of a 35-year-old man, Murtala Rabi’u.
Justice Muhammad-Auwal Haruna, who delivered the judgment at Court No. 5 on Wednesday, found the two men guilty of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.
The case stemmed from an attack on September 18, 2025, at Garin Galadima village near Pindiga in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
According to the prosecution, Sule and Hilami armed themselves with sticks and hoes before attacking Rabi’u. The victim was allegedly robbed of an Itel keypad phone without a SIM card and ₦7,400 in cash.
The prosecution further told the court that the victim sustained severe injuries during the attack and later died. His body was allegedly dumped in a maize farm, while the stolen cash was shared between the defendants.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
During the trial, the prosecution presented two witnesses, while the defence called one witness. Both sides were cross-examined before the case was concluded.
In his judgment, Justice Haruna held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the defendants had failed to establish their defence.
The judge consequently convicted both men and sentenced each of them to death by hanging, ordering that they be hanged by the neck until they are dead.
