Yobe Court Sentences Ex-Soldier to Death for Killing Islamic Cleric, Accomplice Receives 10-Year Sentence

From Sani Gazas, Chinade

A Yobe State High Court sitting in Potiskum on Tuesday convicted and sentenced two former soldiers for their involvement in the murder of prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Goni Aisami.

Lance Corporal John Gabriel, with Nigerian Army number N/A13/69/6522 attached to the 241 Recce Battalion in Nguru, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. His accomplice, Lance Corporal Adamu Gideon, was found guilty of conspiracy and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Justice Usman Zanna Mohammed delivered the verdict after careful consideration of the facts presented by the prosecution and the defendants’ inability to provide essential witnesses to support their claims.

The court found that the defendants conspired to murder Sheikh Aisami on August 22, 2022, while he was on his way to Gashua from Kano. The cleric had provided a ride to Gabriel, who subsequently killed him.

Angered by the brutal murder, the Yobe State Government, through the Ministry of Justice, pursued the case through the legal system, culminating in Tuesday’s verdict.