A Kano State High Court has sentenced Aminu Muhammad to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of a 3-year-old girl, Rafi’atu Junaidu, in Bebeji Local Government Area. The judgment, delivered by Justice Maryam Sabo on Thursday, July 3, 2025, concluded a harrowing seven-year trial that has haunted the Jibga village community since 2018.
Court documents revealed that Aminu lured the toddler from her home to a nearby farm, where he strangled her and then slit her abdomen with a broken bottle, removing her intestines. The savagery of the act sparked widespread outrage across Kano State and beyond.
During the trial, the prosecution led by Barrister Badawiyya Shehu Bala, presented three compelling witnesses and concrete investigative findings that tied the accused to the crime beyond reasonable doubt. Aminu, however, offered a weak defense, submitting only a single piece of evidence in his favor.
Testimonies also revealed that Aminu had allegedly been promised a sum of ₦400,000 by an unidentified sponsor to execute the killing. While the sponsor remains unknown, law enforcement authorities have reportedly launched further investigations to unravel the full chain behind the heinous crime.
Justice Sabo, while delivering the judgment, condemned the act as “sickening, inhuman, and beyond comprehension.” She emphasized that the court owed it to society to deliver justice without compromise, particularly in crimes involving children and vulnerable members of the community.
“The accused is hereby found guilty as charged. He is sentenced to death by hanging until pronounced dead. This court hopes this judgment sends a clear message: those who brutalize children will face the full wrath of the law,” she ruled.
The ruling has reignited discussions around child protection, ritual killings, and the criminal justice system in northern Nigeria. Many child rights activists are now calling for stricter surveillance in rural areas and swifter prosecution in cases of violence against minors.
