Five Men Face Death Penalty in Nigeria Witchcraft Murder Case.
A Nigerian court has sentenced five men to death by hanging for killing a woman they accused of practicing witchcraft in 2023. The ruling came from Kano state, where the men attacked 67-year-old Dahare Abubakar on her farm.
The attackers beat and stabbed Ms. Abubakar after one man's wife dreamed the victim was chasing her with a knife. Abdulaziz Yahaya gathered a group to confront Ms. Abubakar based on this dream, leading to her death.
Police arrested the suspects in a village 28 miles from Kano city after the victim's family reported the crime. Judge Usman Na'abba ruled that prosecutors proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutor Abba Sorondiki called the verdict unprecedented. "This is the first time we are seeing up to five people sentenced to death for murder over wrongful witchcraft accusation," he said. He hopes the ruling will stop others from making false accusations.
The case highlighted ongoing violence against rural residents accused of witchcraft in Nigeria. Accusers often blame their targets for deaths, illnesses, or misfortunes without evidence.
"The day my mother was killed was the worst day of my life," said Musa Yahaya, the victim's son. He expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, saying the killers would face the same fate as his mother.
Defense lawyer Ma'aruf Yakasai announced plans to appeal the verdict. Most death row inmates in Nigeria serve life sentences instead of facing execution, as the country rarely carries out capital punishment.
A Nigerian court has sentenced five men to death by hanging for killing a woman they accused of practicing witchcraft in 2023. The ruling came from Kano state, where the men attacked 67-year-old Dahare Abubakar on her farm.
The attackers beat and stabbed Ms. Abubakar after one man's wife dreamed the victim was chasing her with a knife. Abdulaziz Yahaya gathered a group to confront Ms. Abubakar based on this dream, leading to her death.
Police arrested the suspects in a village 28 miles from Kano city after the victim's family reported the crime. Judge Usman Na'abba ruled that prosecutors proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutor Abba Sorondiki called the verdict unprecedented. "This is the first time we are seeing up to five people sentenced to death for murder over wrongful witchcraft accusation," he said. He hopes the ruling will stop others from making false accusations.
The case highlighted ongoing violence against rural residents accused of witchcraft in Nigeria. Accusers often blame their targets for deaths, illnesses, or misfortunes without evidence.
"The day my mother was killed was the worst day of my life," said Musa Yahaya, the victim's son. He expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, saying the killers would face the same fate as his mother.
Defense lawyer Ma'aruf Yakasai announced plans to appeal the verdict. Most death row inmates in Nigeria serve life sentences instead of facing execution, as the country rarely carries out capital punishment.
