Nigerian courts have sentenced 16 people to death by hanging in separate cases involving kidnapping, terrorism, murder, arms proliferation and the killing of worshippers, according to figures released by the service....
Nigerian courts have sentenced 16 people to death by hanging in separate cases involving kidnapping, terrorism, murder, arms proliferation and the killing of worshippers, according to figures released by the service.
The convictions, recorded between May 20 and October 22, 2026, were delivered by courts in Ekiti, Abuja, Katsina, Kogi, Sokoto and Adamawa states.
The latest judgment was delivered on Thursday, October 22, when an Adamawa State High Court sentenced three men — Taledo Demiel, Namomai Medan and Mikalia Yusuf — to death by hanging over the kidnapping of two Catholic priests in Numan Local Government Area.
The priests, Matthew Dutsemi and Abraham Sauman, were abducted in February 2025.
Earlier, on September 28, a Sokoto State High Court sentenced Ibrahim Usman, also known as Dan Iyali, to death by hanging over his involvement in the killing of three kidnapped persons in the state.
On June 22, another Sokoto State High Court sentenced three men — Muhammed Yusuf Sallau, Jabbi Ahlaji Yale and Kabiru Muhammed — to death by hanging on charges involving terrorism and arms proliferation.
On June 16, a Kogi State High Court sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death by hanging for kidnapping and murder, while a day earlier, on June 15, a Katsina State High Court handed the same sentence to Hauwa’u Mukhtar, identified as a female arms courier.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on June 3, sentenced four men — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Alqasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulkareem Idris — to death by hanging over their involvement in the 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
The case involved charges of conspiracy and terrorism.
The attack, which occurred during a Pentecost Sunday service on June 5, 2022, left several worshippers dead and others injured.
Earlier, on May 20, an Ekiti State High Court sentenced two men, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar, to death by hanging for kidnapping.
The cases highlight the continued use of capital punishment by Nigerian courts in prosecuting serious crimes, particularly kidnapping, terrorism and violent attacks.
A death sentence, however, is distinct from an execution, as the carrying out of the punishment is subject to applicable legal procedures.