Three sentenced to death for kidnapping Catholic priests

An Adamawa State High Court has sentenced three men to death for kidnapping two Catholic priests in February 2025.

Christopher Mapeo delivered the judgement on Thursday, convicting Taledo Demiel, Namomai Medan and Mikaila Yusuf over the abduction of Reverend Fathers Matthew Dutsemi and Abraham Sauman.

The defendants were found guilty of offences including criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, harbouring a kidnapped person and negotiating to receive ransom for the priests’ release.

The priests were abducted from their residence in Gwaida-Malam, Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, in the early hours of 22 February 2025.

The police confirmed the abduction at the time and said the state Commissioner of Police had directed security operatives to rescue the victims and apprehend the kidnappers.

The State Security Service (SSS) said the judgement brought to seven the number of death sentences secured by the service in 2026.

According to reports on the SSS statement, the latest judgement followed several other capital convictions secured in different states this year in cases involving kidnapping, terrorism and other serious offences.

On 20 May, an Ekiti State High Court sentenced Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar to death for kidnapping.

On 3 June, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men to death by hanging over their involvement in the June 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which killed scores of worshippers.

A Katsina State High Court sentenced Hauwa’u Mukhtar to death on 15 June, while a Kogi State High Court sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death the following day for kidnapping and murdering his neighbour.

On 22 June, a Sokoto State High Court sentenced three men — Muhammed Yusuf Sallau, Jabbi Ahlaji Yale and Kabiru Muhammed — to death for terrorism-related offences and transporting arms.

On 28 September, another Sokoto State High Court sentenced Ibrahim Usman, also known as Dan Iyali, to death over his involvement in the killing of three kidnapped persons.

The Adamawa judgement adds to the growing number of capital convictions recorded in Nigeria as security agencies pursue prosecutions over kidnapping and other violent crimes.