Court Sentences 18-year-old Mustapha Isah to Death for Murder of 58-year-old Aishatu Abdullahi

Summary: Mustapha Isah, an 18-year-old resident of Santana Street in the Jekadafari area of Gombe State, has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing 58-year-old Aishatu Abdullahi. He killed her on October 20, 2023, using a knife to inflict fatal injuries on her. 

Mustapha Isah, an 18-year-old resident of Santana Street in the Jekadafari area of Gombe State, has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing 58-year-old Aishatu Abdullahi. This verdict was passed on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, by a Gombe State High Court.

The convict, Mustapha, killed Aishatu on October 20, 2023, at about 9:00 p.m., when he unlawfully entered her residence. He attacked her with a knife, inflicting fatal injuries, which led to her death. During the court sitting, the presiding judge, Justice Abdulhamid-Mohammed Yakubu, stated that the prosecution had proven the murder beyond a reasonable doubt and established that Mustapha intentionally killed Aishatu.

“The evidence before this court clearly shows that the accused person committed the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death. The prosecution has successfully discharged the burden of proof placed upon it by law,” the judge ruled.

Subsequently, the judge sentenced him to death by hanging in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian law. The judge also noted that the crime was grave and must be met with the full power of the law to deter others.

“The sanctity of human life must be protected. Any act that unlawfully takes life must be decisively dealt with in line with the law,” he added.