By A Kano State High Court has sentenced 22-year-old Sagiru Rijiyar-Zaki to death by hanging for the brutal murder of his stepmother and sister during a violent domestic altercation. The ruling was delivered Tuesday by Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, who found the defendant guilty of culpable homicide.
The incident occurred on January 7, 2023, at Rijiyar Zaki Quarters in Kano. Prosecutors told the court that Sagiru fatally stabbed his stepmother, Rabiatu Sagir, with a screwdriver and then strangled his younger sister, Munawara, using a scarf.
In her judgment, Justice Adamu-Aliyu ruled that the prosecution presented a convincing case. “The evidence was credible and consistent. The defendant is found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging,” she declared.
Prosecution counsel Lamido Abba-Sorondinki presented two witnesses and submitted physical evidence linking the convict to the crime. The court heard that the attack followed a domestic quarrel that escalated into a deadly confrontation.
Despite denying the charges, Sagiru testified in his own defense through his lawyer, Mr. Mubarak Abubakar. However, his claims were dismissed by the court, which found the testimony unpersuasive in the face of overwhelming evidence.
The court ruled that the offence violated Section 221(a) of the Penal Code Law of Kano State, which prescribes capital punishment for culpable homicide. With this ruling, Sagiru now awaits execution in line with the law.
