Kano Upper Sharia Court has sentenced a man to death by hanging for setting a mosque ablaze during early morning prayers —a horrifying 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, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The convict, identified as Shafiu Abubakar, was found guilty of four serious offences: culpable homicide, attempted homicide, causing grievous injury, and mischief by fire —offences that contravene Sections 143, 148, and 370 of the Shari’a Legal Code of Kano State, 2000.
According to the prosecution, about 11 victims died instantly at the scene of the attack, while 12 others later succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital.
Presiding over the case, Justice Halhatu Huza’i Zakariyya ruled that the evidence presented before the court proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The court admitted the defendant’s confessional statement and cited eyewitness testimonies, as well as circumstantial evidence —including burns found on his hand— as compelling proof of guilt.
“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,” the judge said.
In addition to the death sentence, the court ordered that the convict receive 150 strokes of the cane —100 for the offence of mischief by fire and another 50 for causing grievous harm— as well as a fine of N1,500.
The court further ordered that his tricycle be sold and the proceeds used towards the reconstruction of the mosque.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the prosecution presented seven witnesses during the trial, including Abdulaziz Yahya, the Village Head of Gadan, and ASP Abdullahi Sajoh Adamawa, a police officer attached to the Gezawa Divisional Police Headquarters.
PUNCH Metro reports that the Kano State Government approved N151.9m for the rebuilding of the burnt mosque and a nearby Islamiyya school.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who visited the wounded at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, strongly condemned the attack and assured the public that justice would be served.
“This is a deeply tragic event rooted in a personal dispute—not terrorism or politics,” the governor said. “The government will ensure the community is supported, and such an atrocity never occurs.”
The punch.