RismadarVoice Reporters
October 7, 2026
The Gombe State High Court has sentenced two men, Buhari Sule and Muktari Ali Hilami, to death after convicting them of armed robbery and the killing of 35-year-old Murtala Rabi’u.
Justice Muhammad-Auwal Haruna delivered the judgment at Court No. 5, finding the defendants guilty of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.
The case arose from an attack on Rabi’u on September 18, 2025, at Garin Galadima village near Pindiga in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Prosecutors told the court that Sule and Hilami conspired to attack Rabi’u and robbed him of an Itel keypad phone and ₦7,400.
The prosecution said Rabi’u sustained injuries during the attack and subsequently died.
State counsel Abdulkadir Ibrahim argued that the offences violated Sections 97, 297 and 221 of the Penal Code Law.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses who were cross-examined by defence counsel Dan Mamman. The defence subsequently presented one witness, who was also cross-examined by the prosecution.
In his judgment, Justice Haruna held that the prosecution had established the charges against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge said the testimony of the first prosecution witness played a significant role in establishing the case and held that the defendants failed to present a sufficient defence against the evidence before the court.
The court consequently convicted Sule and Hilami on all counts and sentenced each of them to death by hanging.
