Court sentences guard, cook to death for murder of former Katsina commissioner

The Katsina State High Court 9, presided over by Justice I. I. Mashi, has sentenced two men to death for the murder of former Katsina State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Rabe Nasir.

Nasir was assassinated on December 8, 2021, in his residence at Fatima Shema Housing Estate, Katsina. Investigations revealed that his former guard, Shamsu Lawal, and his cook, Tasi’u Rabi’u, conspired to poison him after a failed robbery attempt. A medical report confirmed the presence of poison in the deceased’s body.

In addition to the death sentences, the court handed a five-year prison term to another former guard, Sani Sa’adu, for withholding information about the murder.

However, a female suspect, Gift Bako, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking her to the crime.

Her lawyer welcomed the judgment, describing it as fair and based on the facts.

Both the prosecution and defence counsels expressed satisfaction with the trial process. Defence lawyer Ahmad Kankia appealed for leniency on behalf of the convicts, citing their family responsibilities.

The prosecution, however, maintained that justice had been served.

Emotions ran high following the verdict.

The convicts appeared visibly shaken as they were led out of the courtroom, while Bako’s family and legal team expressed relief and joy at her acquittal.

Rabe Nasir, who served as Commissioner under former Governor Aminu Masari’s administration, was also a former federal lawmaker for Mani and Bindawa Federal Constituency and an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS).

He was buried on December 10, 2021, at Gidan-Dawa cemetery in Katsina.