Court sentences herder to death for killing fellow in Borno

An 18-year-old herdsman, Adamu Mohammed, has been sentenced to death by hanging after a High Court sitting in Maiduguri found him guilty of killing another herder, 19-year-old Adamu Ali, during a violent clash in Auno, Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

Justice Mohammed Maina delivered the judgment on Thursday, ruling that the prosecution had successfully established that Mohammed struck the victim on the head with a cutlass during a fight in the bush on January 19, 2025.

Ali was later confirmed dead at the Borno State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.

Although the defendant initially pleaded guilty, the court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf in line with legal procedure for cases involving capital punishment.

The prosecution presented two witnesses and tendered several exhibits, including Mohammed’s extra-judicial statements and a medical report.

In his statements, Mohammed admitted engaging in a cutlass duel with the deceased.

His counsel argued that he acted in self-defence, but the court rejected the claim, citing inconsistencies in his account and a lack of evidence showing that he was unable to retreat from the confrontation.

Justice Maina ruled that the force used by Mohammed was excessive and unjustifiable, noting that the elements of culpable homicide punishable by death under Section 191(a) of the Borno State Penal Code Law, 2023, were fully established.