Court Sentences 18-Year-Old Herdsman to Death for Killing in Borno
An 18-year-old herdsman, Adamu Mohammed, has been sentenced to death by hanging after a High Court in Maiduguri found him guilty of killing another herder, 19-year-old Adamu Ali, during a clash in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Mohammed Maina held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that Mohammed struck the deceased with a cutlass during a fight in Auno on January 19, 2025.
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Although the defendant initially pleaded guilty, the court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf because the charge carries capital punishment. The prosecution called two witnesses and presented the defendant’s statements and a medical report as evidence.
In his defence, Mohammed claimed he acted in self-defence, but Justice Maina dismissed the argument, noting inconsistencies in his testimony and a lack of evidence showing he could not have avoided the fatal action.
The court ruled that the defendant’s conduct met the elements of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 191(a) of the Borno State Penal Code Law, 2023.
