Gombe High Court Delivers Death Sentence for Fatal Attack on Ex-Wife
A High Court in Gombe State has handed down a death sentence to a 25-year-old man for the brutal murder of his former wife, following her refusal to reconcile and remarry him. The court found Hassan Mohammed of Falangaya village in Dukku Local Government Area guilty of culpable homicide, a crime that carries the ultimate penalty under Nigerian law.
Details of the Tragic Incident and Legal Proceedings
The prosecution presented evidence that on March 25, 2025, at approximately 1 p.m., Hassan Mohammed attacked his ex-wife, Halimatu Sadiya-Adamu, with a knife after she declined his request to remarry. According to court documents, he slit her throat during the assault, leading to her immediate death. The Director of Public Prosecution in Gombe State, Abubakar Kungudo, led the case, stating that the offence violated Section 221 of the Penal Code Law.
During the trial, six witnesses testified, providing detailed accounts of the scene and the events surrounding the attack. The knife allegedly used in the crime was also submitted as an exhibit to the court. Despite pleading not guilty, the defendant, Hassan Mohammed, faced rigorous cross-examination from the prosecution after his defence counsel, Habib Alkali, presented him as the sole defence witness.
Court's Judgment and Rationale for the Sentence
Justice Abdulhamid Mohammed-Yakubu of High Court No. 2 in Gombe delivered the judgment on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. After carefully reviewing the testimonies, exhibits, and the defendant's confessional statement along with police investigations, the judge ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Having carefully considered the testimonies of the witnesses, the exhibits presented before the court, as well as the confessional statement of the defendant and the police investigation, the court finds the accused person guilty of culpable homicide," Justice Mohammed-Yakubu declared. He emphasized that the evidence clearly established Hassan Mohammed killed his former wife due to her rejection of his remarriage proposal.
Consequently, the court convicted Hassan Mohammed under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law and sentenced him to death by hanging. "The sentence of this court upon you, Hassan Mohammed, is death by hanging as provided under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law," the judge stated, underscoring the severity of the crime and the legal consequences for such acts of violence.
