Taraba High Court Sentences Islamic Teacher to 15 Years for Homicide of Six Year Old Pupil

Islamic teacher Mubarak Hassan sentenced to 15 years by Taraba High Court for the killing of a six year old boy, while acquitted of kidnapping charges.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 27, 2026, 5:12 PM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Daily Post Nigeria

Judicial Determination in the Case of Mallam Mubarak Hassan

A Taraba State High Court has concluded the trial of 27 year old Mallam Mubarak Hassan, sentencing him to 15 years of imprisonment for the death of a six year old boy, Mustapha Ishyaku. Chief Judge Joel Agya delivered the ruling on Friday in Jalingo, determining that the Islamic teacher was guilty of culpable homicide not punishable with death. The court mandated that the term of imprisonment be served without the option of a fine, providing a definitive legal conclusion to a case that has spanned four years since the defendant's initial apprehension. According to the court, the sentence will be backdated to March 3, 2022, to account for the period Hassan has already spent in custody.

Acquittal on Kidnapping and Abduction Charges

Despite the conviction for homicide, Justice Agya discharged and acquitted Hassan on separate counts of abduction and kidnapping. The charges were filed under the Taraba State Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Amendment Law, but the defense argued successfully that the prosecution failed to prove these specific allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense counsel Dahiru Modibbo highlighted significant lapses in the police investigation and noted the failure to call essential witnesses to support the abduction narrative. Consequently, the court found the evidence insufficient to sustain the first count of the indictment, resulting in a partial victory for the defense team.

The Prosecution's Narrative of the Incident

The Office of the Attorney General of Taraba State initiated the legal proceedings in June 2022, following the discovery of the victim’s body. The prosecution alleged that Hassan had abducted the child in Mutum Biyu before killing him and concealing the remains in a shallow grave located along the Dankuturu area. According to the state’s filings, the act was categorized as a violation of the state’s Penal Code Law. While the prosecution sought a conviction for culpable homicide punishable by death, the lack of eyewitness accounts and the failure to produce the alleged murder weapon in court led the judge to opt for a lesser offense classification.