A Kano Upper Sharia Court has sentenced Shafiu Abubakar to death by hanging for setting fire to a mosque during early morning prayers—an attack that claimed the lives of 23 worshippers and left several others critically injured.
The incident occurred on May 15, 2024, in Gadan Larabar Abasawa village, located in the Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. Abubakar was found guilty of four serious offences: culpable homicide, attempted homicide, causing grievous injury, and mischief by fire, all of which violate Sections 143, 148, and 370 of the Kano State Shari’a Legal Code of 2000.
According to the prosecution, 11 victims died at the scene, while 12 more died later while receiving treatment at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital.
Presiding Judge, Justice Halhatu Huza’i Zakariyya, stated that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court accepted the defendant’s confessional statement and cited corroborating evidence, including eyewitness accounts and burn marks found on Abubakar’s hand.
“This court finds the defendant guilty of the heinous crimes committed on that tragic day. The deliberate act of setting a place of worship ablaze during prayers is a cruel and calculated attack on humanity,” Justice Zakariyya said.
In addition to the death sentence, the court ordered: 150 strokes of the cane: 100 for mischief by fire, and 50 for causing grievous harm. A fine of ₦1,500.
The sale of the convict’s tricycle, with proceeds directed toward rebuilding the mosque
Seven witnesses testified during the proceedings, including Abdulaziz Yahya, the Village Head of Gadan, and ASP Abdullahi Sajoh Adamawa from the Gezawa Divisional Police Headquarters.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf condemned the attack, describing it as a deeply personal dispute, not an act of terrorism or political violence. He announced that the state government had approved ₦151.9 million for the reconstruction of the mosque and a nearby Islamiyya school.
“The government will ensure justice is done and the victims’ families are supported. This kind of atrocity must never happen again,” the governor said during a visit to the injured at the hospital.