In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, the Yobe State High Court in Potiskum sentenced a dismissed soldier, Lance Corporal John Gabriel, to death by hanging, and Lance Corporal Adamu Gideon to 10 years imprisonment at the Nigerian Correctional Service. The verdict was based on charges of murder and conspiracy, respectively.
Justice Usman Zanna Mohammed found Gabriel, who was attached to 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru, and Gideon guilty of the offences. The charges stemmed from the murder of Sheikh Goni Aisami, a prominent Islamic scholar based in Gashua, in Karasuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State. The incident occurred on August 22, 2022, when the soldiers, who were given a lift by Sheikh Aisami on his way from Kano to Gashua, murdered him.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Mohammed considered the facts before the court and noted the failure of the defendants to provide essential witnesses to corroborate their claim. Consequently, he sentenced Gabriel to death by hanging and Gideon to 10 years imprisonment in accordance with the provisions of the law.
The murder of Sheikh Aisami, a respected Islamic scholar, had led to outrage, prompting the Yobe State Government to pursue legal action against the ex-soldiers. The Ministry of Justice handled the case, resulting in the recent judgment.
