Kogi Judge hands down toughest sentence to individual detained by secret police for abduction and fatal attack on resident

In a swift display of judicial force, a Kogi State High Court has handed down a death sentence to a man convicted of kidnapping and murdering his neighbour, a hotel owner in Obajana, just a day after a similar verdict was issued in Katsina State, with both cases prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).

These sentences come on the heels of a Federal High Court in Abuja imposing the death penalty on four men for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, less than two weeks prior.

Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu presided over the Kogi Court, finding Jibrin Halilu guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping, in contravention of Sections 12, 6 (1), and 4 (3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023, and subsequently sentencing him to death.

According to the prosecution, Halilu and his armed gang stormed the Everready hotel in Obajana town on March 23, 2023, abducting the proprietor, Uche Andrew Offo, and despite receiving a N2.5 million ransom, they killed him.

The DSS prosecutor revealed that Offo was able to identify Halilu as one of his kidnappers during his captivity, and that Halilu was arrested by DSS operatives on December 4, 2025.

DSS investigations also linked Halilu and his gang to the April 2, 2023 kidnapping of Ibrahim Abdullahi, a resident of Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja, from whom they collected a N5 million ransom.

The Kogi and Katsina convictions follow a landmark verdict by a Federal High Court in Abuja on June 3, 2026, sentencing four men to death for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the deaths of over 40 worshippers and injured over 100 persons.

The court sentenced Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris to death by hanging for the attack, marking a significant victory for the DSS.

These convictions, according to a source, demonstrate that those who engage in terrorism, kidnapping, and armed violence will be caught, prosecuted, and face the full consequences of their actions, reinforcing the message that such crimes will not be tolerated.