A Kano State High Court has sentenced 21-year-old Umar Idris to death by hanging following the brutal 2021 murder of a local shopkeeper, Sabiu Umar. Idris, a resident of the Farawa area in Kumbotso Local Government, was found guilty of culpable homicide after a lengthy legal process that culminated in a final judgment this week.
The tragic incident dates back to the night of September 2, 2021, in the Tsamiya Mariri Quarters of Kano. According to the prosecution led by Lamido Abba-Sorondinki, Idris broke into the victim’s combined shop and residence at approximately 10:30 p.m. His target was a collection of wedding garments that 28-year-old Sabiu had been carefully keeping for his upcoming marriage.
Details obtained by Zoyols News reveal that the situation turned violent when Sabiu discovered the intruder and raised an alarm. In the ensuing struggle, Idris used a sharp knife to inflict multiple fatal wounds on the shopkeeper, targeting his neck and shoulders. The injuries were so severe that they led to Sabiu’s death shortly after the confrontation.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution team presented three witnesses and a confessional statement from the defendant to build their case. Although Idris eventually denied the charges and his lead counsel, Muftau Bello, called two witnesses in an attempt to secure leniency, the evidence proved overwhelming.
Presiding Judge Sunusi Ado-Ma’aji ruled that the state had successfully proven the charge of murder beyond any reasonable doubt. While delivering the sentence, the judge noted the gravity of the crime, specifically citing the repeated stabbings that claimed the young shopkeeper’s life. “I hereby sentence Idris to death by hanging,” the judge declared, closing the proceedings with a plea for mercy on the soul of the condemned.
