A Kaduna State High Court has sentenced three individuals — John Moses, Yakubu Mohammed, and Mustapha Musa — to death by hanging after finding them guilty of rape in separate cases.
The verdict was announced on Wednesday by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, who hailed the ruling as a milestone victory in the state’s fight against sexual violence and a strong deterrent to potential offenders.
Providing further details, Salisu revealed that on June 7, 2024, Justice Nana convicted John Moses in case KDH/KAD/57c/2023 (State vs. John Moses) on charges of rape and incest, citing Section 258(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law (2017, as amended). In addition to the death sentence, Moses was also ordered to undergo surgical castration, reflecting the severity of his crimes.
Salisu further noted that between June 2024 and February 2025, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development successfully secured three rape convictions, demonstrating the state’s firm commitment to addressing sexual violence and protecting vulnerable citizens, particularly women and children.
Similarly, on February 6, 2025, Justice B. Yusuf convicted Yakubu Mohammed in case KDH/KAD/69c/2023 (State Vs. Yakubu Mohammed) on a two-count charge of rape under the same legal provision. He was also sentenced to death by hanging and surgical castration.
However, in a separate case, Justice Isa Aliyu sentenced Mustapha Musa to life imprisonment on February 24, 2025, under case KDH/KAD/66c/2021 (State Vs. Mustapha Musa).
The prosecutions were handled by M.P. Danjuma Esq. and Halimatu S. Bello Esq.