A High Court in Kogi State has sentenced a man to death for kidnapping and murdering his neighbour, who operated a hotel in Obajana. The court, presided over by Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu, delivered the verdict on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, finding Jibrin Halilu guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping, in violation of Sections 12, 6(1), and 4(3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023.
Halilu was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS). According to the prosecution, on March 23, 2023, Halilu and other members of his armed gang stormed Ever Ready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana town, and abducted the proprietor, Uche Andrew Offo. Although Offo's family paid a ransom of N2.5 million to the abductors, the victim was still killed.
The DSS prosecutor informed the court that operatives arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025. Investigations revealed that Offo, while in captivity, identified Halilu as his neighbour and one of the kidnappers. Despite receiving the ransom, Halilu participated in the murder. A security source stated, "DSS investigations revealed that, while with his abductors, Offo was able to identify Halilu, who happened to be his neighbour, as being part of those who kidnapped him. That was when Halilu, despite the N2.5 million ransom he collected from Offo's family, still killed him."
Further investigations linked Halilu and his gang to the April 2, 2023 kidnapping of Ibrahim Abdullahi, a resident of Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja, from whom they collected a N5 million ransom.
