Court sentences man to death for murder of 3-year-old girl in Kano

A Kano State High Court sitting on Miller Road has sentenced one Aminu Muhammad to death by hanging for the brutal murder of a three-year-old girl, Rafi’atu Junaidu, in Bebeji Local Government Area.

The verdict, delivered by Justice Maryam Sabo, brings to an end a seven-year legal battle that followed the 2018 killing which deeply shocked residents of Jibga village.

According to court records, Aminu lured the child from her home to a nearby farm, where he strangled her. In a horrifying act of violence, he then used a broken bottle to slit open her abdomen and removed her intestines.

During the trial, the prosecuting counsel, Barrister Badawiyya Shehu Bala, presented three witnesses and investigative findings that proved the defendant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The defence, however, presented only one item of evidence in his support.

The court also heard that the convict had allegedly been promised N400,000 by an unknown individual to carry out the killing. As of the time of this report, the identity of the alleged sponsor remains unknown, and further investigations are ongoing.

In her ruling, Justice Sabo described the crime as “inhuman and brutal,” stressing that the judgment should serve as a deterrent to others and reaffirming the court’s dedication to justice, especially in cases involving children.

“The court finds the accused guilty as charged and hereby sentences him to death by hanging,” she declared.