A Kano State High Court has sentenced Sha’aibu Abdulkadir to death by hanging after convicting him of the murder of a 23-year-old pregnant newlywed, Rumasa’u Shuaibu, following a dispute over the paternity of her unborn child.
The judgment was delivered on Friday, July 24, 2026, by Justice Farida Dan Baffa of High Court No. 22, who ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge of culpable homicide beyond reasonable doubt.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the incident occurred in 2025 when Abdulkadir visited the victim at her residence in Kano State. The court heard that the deceased allegedly informed him that the pregnancy she was carrying belonged to him and not to her husband.
Prosecutors further told the court that Rumasa’u had demanded ₦500,000 from Abdulkadir and threatened to reveal details of their alleged relationship if he refused to provide the money.
The prosecution called three witnesses to support its case, while the defendant testified in his own defence before the court reached its decision.
After reviewing the evidence and legal arguments from both sides, Justice Dan Baffa concluded that the prosecution had established the offence beyond reasonable doubt. The court subsequently found Abdulkadir guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced him to death by hanging.
The ruling brings an end to the high-profile murder trial, which attracted public attention in Kano due to the circumstances surrounding the killing of the pregnant newlywed and the allegations of a paternity dispute that emerged during court proceedings.
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