A Kano State High Court has sentenced Fadila Adamu, a housewife, to death by hanging after finding her guilty of kidnapping and causing the death of an eight-year-old girl by throwing her into a well.
The court presided over by Justice Yusuf Muhammad-Ubale, convicted Adamu, a resident of Sabuwar Gandu Quarters, on charges of kidnapping and culpable homicide. The judge ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“I hereby sentence the defendant to death by hanging for kidnapping and throwing the victim into a well, resulting in her death,” Justice Muhammad-Ubale declared.
Prosecution counsel Lamido Abba-Sorondinki told the court that the crime occurred on July 14, 2019, at Tudun Wada Quarters in Kano. Around 4:45 p.m., Adamu abducted the child and took her home. She later told her sister that the girl was the daughter of a friend who had travelled to Ghana and had asked her to care for the child until the mother returned.
However, on July 17, 2019, at about 6:30 p.m., Adamu threw the girl into a deep well in Tukuntawa Quarters, leading to her death.
The prosecution presented seven witnesses, as well as the defendant’s statements and a medical report confirming the victim’s death. Despite the evidence, Adamu denied the charges.
The court ruled that her actions violated Sections 274(b) and 221(a) of the Penal Code, which pertain to kidnapping and culpable homicide.
In her defence, Adamu’s lawyer, Zulaihat Tata, called four witnesses, including the defendant, to testify on her behalf. However, the court found the prosecution’s case compelling, leading to the guilty verdict and death sentence.
