A Kogi State High Court has sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death for the kidnapping and murder of Uche Andrew Offo, a hotel proprietor in Obajana. Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu delivered the verdict on Tuesday, convicting Halilu on charges of conspiracy and kidnapping under Sections 12, 6(1), and 4(3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023. The attack occurred on March 23, 2023, when Halilu and his armed gang abducted Offo from Everready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana.
Despite the payment of a N2.5 million ransom by Offo's family, Halilu killed the victim. The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025. According to DSS investigators, Offo identified Halilu as one of his abductors while in captivity, despite their status as neighbours.
The same DSS investigation linked Halilu to another kidnapping on April 2, 2023, when the gang abducted Ibrahim Abdullahi from Oshokoshoko Community in Lokoja and collected a N5 million ransom. The Kogi ruling follows other recent death sentences handed down by courts in Katsina and Abuja. On June 3, 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men—Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris—to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which killed over 40 people and injured more than 100. A Katsina High Court also sentenced a female arms courier to death within 24 hours of the Kogi verdict.
A source familiar with the DSS cases said the convictions represent a string of courtroom successes for the agency, showing that individuals involved in terrorism, kidnapping, and armed violence will be prosecuted and face full legal consequences.
Jibrin Halilu helped kill a neighbour he once lived beside, after that neighbour identified him during captivity, yet Halilu still expected the ransom to bring safety. The man paid N2.5 million to save his life, but the killer was already exposed. This case reveals how little some perpetrators value human life, even when their cover is blown. For Nigerians like Uche Andrew Offo and Ibrahim Abdullahi, the cost of living near someone with violent intent can be fatal.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
