Daniel Otera
The recent conviction and death sentence of a 38-year-old tricycle operator, Shafi’u Abubakar, for setting a mosque ablaze and killing 23 worshippers during morning prayers in Kano State, has brought renewed focus to the broader implications of religiously linked violence in northern Nigeria.
While the judgement marks the end of one of Kano’s deadliest criminal trials in recent memory, questions linger about the delivery of justice, the role of mental health evaluation in criminal proceedings, and the rising trend of domestic extremism within communities.
On 15 May 2024, tragedy struck Gadan Larabar Abasawa village in Gezawa Local Government Area when Mr. Abubakar allegedly poured petrol inside a mosque during early morning prayers and set it ablaze, trapping worshippers between 5:05 and 5:20 a.m.
According to the prosecution, 23 people were later confirmed dead at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, while several others sustained severe burns.
Mr. Abubakar, who was arraigned before the Upper Shari’a Court in Kano, faced charges including culpable homicide, attempted murder, causing grievous hurt, and mischief by fire under Sections 142, 148, 168 and 370 of the Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law, 2000.
In delivering the judgement on 20 May 2025, Judge Halhalatu Khuza’i-Zakariyya found him guilty on all four counts. Though seven witnesses testified for the prosecution, the court accepted only two as materially relevant, one of whom was a police officer who presented the defendant’s confessional statement and another who saw the defendant fleeing the scene.
The court sentenced Mr. Abubakar to death by hanging, alongside 150 strokes of the cane and a fine of N1,500. His tricycle was also ordered to be auctioned to fund the mosque’s repairs. He was granted a 30-day window to appeal the judgement.
The Kano State Sharia Penal Code, adopted in 2000, contains provisions that permit capital punishment for crimes such as homicide under Islamic law. Section 142 deals with causing death, while Section 148 handles attempted murder. Sections 168 and 370 cover grievous harm and arson respectively.
The code operates concurrently with the Nigerian Criminal Code but is applied primarily in northern states that have adopted Sharia jurisprudence.
Legal observers note that convictions under the Sharia code are subject to the same appeal process through higher Shari’a courts or the Court of Appeal, depending on the defendant’s plea and legal counsel.
Data from independent security trackers and open-source conflict monitors show that Nigeria has witnessed dozens of violent incidents targeting places of worship in recent years.
A pattern of attacks, particularly in the North-West geopolitical zone, has been noted, with Kano among the states recording frequent faith-linked unrest. Most of these incidents involved external assailants, including bandits and insurgents, rather than internal community actors.
Although Abubakar’s act was allegedly motivated by personal grievances, it echoes previous tragedies in northern Nigeria where places of worship became scenes of violence. For instance, in September 2022, gunmen attacked a mosque in Ruwan Jema community, Bukkuyum LGA of Zamfara State, killing at least 13 worshippers during Juma’at prayers.
Similarly, in November 2020, armed assailants stormed a mosque in Dutsen Gari village, also in Zamfara, killing five and abducting 18 others, including an imam.
Security analysts suggest that while some of these attacks stem from banditry and insecurity, others increasingly reflect growing emotional instability, mental health neglect, and deepening communal isolation, especially in regions with limited access to justice and psychosocial support systems.
Despite the gravity of violent offences such as mass murder, legal experts have raised concerns over the limited integration of psychological assessments in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Criminology and Sociology observed that psychological profiling remains grossly underutilised in Nigeria, particularly in cases tried under the Sharia legal framework where confessions alone may suffice for conviction.
The study, conducted by Adebisi and Olanrewaju, noted that while psychological profiling is globally recognised as a critical component of justice delivery, especially in evaluating the mental state of violent offenders, its application in Nigeria is rare. The researchers called for systemic reforms to incorporate psychological assessments as a routine part of criminal investigations and sentencing procedures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also flagged northern Nigeria as one of the most underserved regions in terms of mental health services, with fewer than five psychiatrists covering over 40 million people in the region.
This disparity, according to legal and health experts, creates a gap in ensuring that justice also accounts for psychological well-being, especially in capital punishment cases where due process must be meticulous and fair.
On social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), public opinion has been divided. While some users supported the swift judgement as a deterrent to violence, others questioned the reliance on circumstantial evidence and the absence of forensic or psychiatric review.
One user wrote: “Justice has been served for the victims of the Kano mosque massacre. May their souls rest in peace.” Another countered: “Death by hanging based on confession and running from the scene? What about his mental state? Are we just guessing at justice?”
Legal rights groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee, have previously urged courts to incorporate psychological assessments, especially where the defendant’s motive or state of mind is unclear.
The mosque arson and subsequent trial represent more than just a criminal case; they mirror the fragile intersection of religion, justice, and security in Nigeria’s northern region. With faith institutions often doubling as religious and communal centres, attacks on them are deeply traumatic and disruptive.