An Upper Shari’a Court in Kano has sentenced Shafi’u Abubakar to death by hanging and 150 strokes of cane after conviction of manslaughter committed in May 2024.

Abubakar, a 38-year-old man, set a mosque ablaze in his Gezawa Local Government Area, Kano, during an early morning prayer, killing 23 people.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with culpable homicide, attempted murder, causing grievous hurt, and mischief by fire.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Sharia Khadi, Halhalatu Khuza’i-Zakariyya, found the defendant guilty of all charges.

According to the Sharia Judge, out of the seven witnesses presented by the prosecution, only the testimonies of two witnesses proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

He said that the testimonies of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th witnesses were mere stories, while citing an Islamic inscription, noting that they were not present when the incident occurred.

However, the court admitted the testimony of the 4th witness, Ibrahim Salisu, who confirmed to the court how the defendant set the mosque on fire, after which he ran away.

The Judge also accepted the testimony of the 7th witness, Abdullahi Sa’idu, a police officer, who presented the defendant’s confessional statement, which he pleaded guilty to.

“The burns on the defendant’s hand also indicate he committed the offence; thereby finding the defendant guilty on all four counts,” the Judge ruled.

He also ordered the defendant to pay a fine of N1,500 for causing grievous hurt and 50 strokes of the cane for mischief by fire.

Khuza’i-Zakariyya also ordered the state government to collect the defendant’s tricycle and sell it to repair the said burnt mosque.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Kano State Ministry of Justice, Salisu Tahir, said the defendant committed the offence at Gadan Larabar Abasawa Village, Gezawa Local Government, Kano, on May 15, 2024.

He said on the same date, the defendant went to a mosque in Gadan Larabar Abasawa Village, poured petrol and lit a fire while the 23 victims were praying at about 5:05 to 5:20 a.m.

Tahir said that at about 5:15 am, the defendant attempted to kill Shu’aibu Ibrahim and Ibrahim Sani when he poured petrol and lit a fire around them.

“The victims were rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, and 23 people later died.”

Tahir presented seven prosecution witnesses and also tendered the defendant’s confessional statement in English and Hausa languages, and pictures of the victims as an exhibit.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 142, 148, 168, and 370 of Kano State Shari’a Penal Code Law, 2000.

Responding, the Defence Counsel, Hasiya Muhammad-Imam, pleaded for leniency on behalf of Abubakar and urged the court to transfer him to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre Janguza.