Ex-soldier sentenced to death, another to 10 years for Islamic cleric murder

On Tuesday, the Yobe State High Court in Potiskum pronounced a death sentence by hanging for dismissed soldier Lance Corporal John Gabriel and a 10-year imprisonment for Lance Corporal Adamu Gideon at the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Justice Usman Zanna Mohammed found Gabriel, with Nigerian Army number N/A13/69/6522 from 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru, and Gideon guilty of murder and conspiracy, respectively.

In delivering the verdict, Justice Mohammed emphasized the careful consideration of the presented facts and the defendants’ failure to produce essential witnesses to support their claims. The sentencing aligns with the stipulations of the law.

This legal action stems from the murder of prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Goni Aisami in Karasuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State on August 22, 2022, by a soldier to whom he had offered a ride from Kano to Gashua. Expressing dissatisfaction with the ex-soldiers’ actions, the Yobe State Government pursued the matter through the Ministry of Justice, resulting in the recent court judgment.