In a landmark ruling at Katsina State High Court, two former staff members of the late Rabe Nasir, his guard, Shamsu Lawal, and Tasi’u Rabi’u, his cook, were sentenced to death on Wednesday for poisoning the ex‑Commissioner for Science and Technology in 2021.
Justice Ibrahim Mashi, presiding at High Court 9, found Lawal and Rabi’u guilty, concluding the poisoning was deliberate after earlier theft attempts failed.
A joint autopsy, performed by both police and hospital authorities, confirmed the presence of poison in Nasir’s body during post‑mortem examinations.
Another former guard, Sani Sa’adu, received a prison term of five years for concealing critical information related to the murder, while Gift Bako, a female suspect, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking her to the crime.
Speaking for the convicts, their lawyer, Ahmad Murtala Kankia, pleaded for mercy, noting “the convicts have families and dependents.”
Rabe Nasir served as Commissioner for Science and Technology under Governor Aminu Masari’s administration and had earlier represented Mani and Bindawa in the House of Representatives in 2003.
