The Katsina State High Court has sentenced two former domestic staff to death for the 2021 murder of Rabe Nasir, a former Commissioner for Science and Technology in Katsina State.
Justice I. I. Mashi of High Court 9 delivered the ruling, convicting Shamsu Lawal, a former security guard, and Tasi’u Rabi’u, a cook, of conspiring to poison Nasir following a failed robbery attempt.
A medical report confirmed the presence of poison in the commissioner’s body.
Another suspect, Sani Sa’adu, also a former guard, was sentenced to five years in prison for concealing information about the murder.
Meanwhile, a female suspect, Gift Bako, was acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence. Her lawyer praised the court’s decision, describing it as fair and evidence-based.
During the court proceedings, both the prosecution and defence expressed satisfaction with the trial.
Defence counsel Ahmad Kankia appealed for leniency, citing the convicts’ family responsibilities, but the prosecution insisted the judgment served justice.
The convicts were visibly emotional as they were led away by security personnel. In contrast, relief and joy were evident on the faces of Bako’s family and legal team following her acquittal.
Rabe Nasir, a prominent public servant, served as commissioner under former Governor Aminu Masari and was previously a federal lawmaker representing Mani and Bindawa Federal Constituency.
He had also worked with the Department of State Services (DSS).
He was murdered on December 8, 2021, at his residence in the Fatima Shema Housing Estate, and was buried two days later at the Gidan-Dawa cemetery in Katsina.
