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A Kano State High Court has sentenced a resident of Farawa in Kumbotso Local Government Area, Shuaibu Abdulkadir, to death by hanging for the murder of 22-year-old Rumaisa Shuaibu.

The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Farida Dan Baffa, who found the defendant guilty of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law.

Abdulkadir was arraigned before the court on August 23, 2025, on a one-count charge following investigations into the killing.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Basiru Kabiru Aliyu, called three witnesses, including the deceased’s husband, Ibrahim Muhammad; the defendant’s fiancée, Asiya Abdulmalik; and the investigating police officer, ASP Chindo Chiwa.

To prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, the prosecution tendered several exhibits, including a video recording of the crime, a flash drive containing electronic evidence, the defendant’s written confessional statement, English and Hausa transcripts of the confession, photographs of the deceased marked as Exhibits D–D4, the knife allegedly used in the attack, marked as Exhibit E1, and the defendant’s mobile phone.

Following the close of the prosecution’s case, the defence, led by Mustapha Idris, presented its arguments before the court.

After reviewing the evidence, Justice Dan Baffa held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt and found Abdulkadir guilty of murdering Rumaisa Shuaibu after she became pregnant for him. The court subsequently sentenced him to death by hanging.

Reacting to the judgment, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude, SAN, described the conviction as a significant milestone in the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that criminal cases are prosecuted professionally, fairly and diligently.

According to him, the judgment reflects the determination of the Kano State Ministry of Justice to protect the rights of victims, uphold the rule of law and ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions.

Maude also commended the prosecuting counsel, Basiru Kabiru Aliyu, for what he described as exceptional professionalism, meticulous preparation and dedication throughout the trial, noting that his performance reflected the high standards expected of state counsel in the ministry.

He urged all state counsel to remain steadfast in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities by conducting prosecutions with integrity, competence, fairness and an unwavering commitment to justice.

The attorney general reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening the prosecution of serious criminal offences, safeguarding citizens’ rights, promoting law and order, and ensuring that justice remains the foundation for peace, security and sustainable development in Kano State.

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A United States Congressman, John James, has renewed his call for the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, linking the separatist leader’s continued incarceration to what he described as religious persecution against Christians in Nigeria.

James, a Republican representing Michigan, made the appeal on the floor of the US House of Representatives on while urging lawmakers to support H.Res. 1321, a resolution he introduced on May 22, 2026.

The resolution, which is currently before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, urges the Nigerian government to ensure that all legal proceedings involving Kanu comply with the country’s Constitution and international human rights obligations.

Addressing fellow lawmakers, James alleged that Nigeria had become the world’s deadliest country for Christians, claiming that tens of thousands had been killed since 2019 in what he described as a sustained campaign of religious violence by Islamist extremists.

“Since 2019, tens of thousands of Christians in Nigeria have been slaughtered as part of a sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence by Islamist jihadis ignored or enabled by the Nigerian government,” he said.

He further alleged that extremist groups, including Boko Haram, continued to operate with little or no effective response from Nigerian authorities.

James also criticised Kanu’s conviction on terrorism charges, describing the trial as a “farce show trial” and portraying the IPOB leader as someone punished for speaking out against the killings.

According to him, Kanu, who is serving a life sentence, should either be granted a fresh trial conducted in line with Nigeria’s Constitution and international legal standards or be released unconditionally.

“I implore my colleagues to support my bill, H.Res. 1321, calling on the Nigerian government to conduct another trial in accordance with its own constitution based on evidence with access to legal counsel, medical care, and international law pertaining to humane conditions of detention, or better yet, release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately and unconditionally,” James said.

The congressman also questioned continued American financial assistance to Nigeria, saying the US should not continue funding a country where Christians were allegedly being persecuted.

“America gives billions to Nigeria. We will not continue to fund a Christian genocide,” he said, adding that the United States had a moral responsibility to ensure Christians in Nigeria could worship freely.

Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, by the Federal High Court in Abuja after Justice James Omotosho found him guilty on terrorism-related charges.

The IPOB leader has remained in custody following his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021 and subsequent transfer to Nigeria.

James’ resolution also references a July 20, 2022 opinion by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which concluded that Kanu’s detention violated international human rights standards and recommended his release alongside appropriate remedies.

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The senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has dismissed allegations linking him to ransom negotiations with terrorists, insisting he has never received ransom money or acted as an intermediary between kidnappers and the government.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ndume stated that he has never even seen ₦1bn in cash.

“I have said it already. In my life, I have never seen N1billion cash, not to talk of N5billion,” he said.

The senator was reacting to allegations made by the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who accused him of being involved in ransom negotiations following the abduction of residents of Ngoshe in Borno State.

Ndume maintained that his only involvement was to notify security agencies after Kaigama informed him about a video allegedly released by Boko Haram/ISWAP demanding a ₦5billion ransom for the victims.

“After Kaigame came to make those claims on the television, I quickly spoke with the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services, DSS, on the matter.

“I told them that there is need to bring us and hear him out as he said he wants to be heard, so that he will have the opportunity to prove all these his allegations.

“And the government should take this matter very seriously because it borders on national security. It’s very dangerous. This has to do with international security because ISWAP and all these terrorist organisations are involved,” he said.

Ndume said his relationship with Kaigama deteriorated after he refused to support negotiating with insurgents or contributing to any ransom payment.

“So after he started bothering me about personal contribution to ransom payment, I told him that I do not support negotiation with Boko Haram, not to talk of paying ransom. I think that’s where the problem started.

“He started issuing out all these uncoordinated and contradictory statements about my involvement and the likes,” he added.

The lawmaker noted that he had earlier rejected the allegations during an interview on ARISE NEWS, stressing that he had never, directly or indirectly, served as an intermediary between kidnappers and either the government or private individuals.

According to Ndume, Kaigama first approached him after insurgents allegedly abducted hundreds of residents of Ngoshe and issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding a ₦5billion ransom.

He also called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the allegations, arguing that the claims raise serious national security concerns and should not be treated as a personal disagreement.