A Nigerian soldier, Private Lukman Musa, has been sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of killing a tricycle rider in Bauchi State.
The verdict was delivered on Thursday, September 18, 2025, by a General Court Martial convened at Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba, Jos, under the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army.
The trial was presided over by Brigadier General Liafis Bello.
Musa was convicted on two counts: culpable homicide and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The court ruled that he deliberately killed Abdulrahman Isa, a tricycle operator in Azare, before disposing of his body.
According to evidence presented, Musa and an accomplice, identified only as Oba, lured the victim under the guise of helping him move personal belongings.
Once inside Musa’s residence, Isa was struck on the head with a wooden object and strangled.
His body was stuffed into a sack, transported in his own tricycle, and later dumped along the Shira–Yala axis. The tricycle was subsequently sold.
The court also established that Musa unlawfully possessed 34 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, for which he received an additional two-year jail sentence.
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In delivering judgment, Brig-Gen. Bello described the crime as “barbaric and heartless,” stressing that Musa betrayed the very values of the Army.
“You mercilessly metamorphosed from a defender of citizens to a killer. This is a gross violation of the law, of military ethics, and of human dignity,” Bello declared.
Musa was formally dismissed from service with ignominy, stripped of his rank and privileges.
Major Aminu Mairuwa, Acting Deputy Director of Legal Services, 3 Division, said the outcome demonstrates the Army’s resolve to uphold discipline and ensure justice.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to enforcing discipline among its ranks. This judgment shows that no one is above the law,” Mairuwa stated.
The case has drawn public attention as one of the most severe sentences handed down by a Nigerian military court in recent years, underscoring the Army’s zero tolerance for criminality within its ranks.