Court Sentences Three To Death For Kidnapping Catholic Priests In Adamawa
Thursday’s judgment marks the seventh death sentence secured by the Department of State Services (DSS) this year. The post Court Sentences Three To Death For Kidnapping Catholic Priests In Adamawa appeared first on…
Kidnapping for ransom remains one of Nigeria's most persistent security challenges, with clergy, students and travellers frequently targeted by armed gangs operating in the North-East, North-West and parts of the Middle Belt. Adamawa State, like neighbouring Borno and Yobe, has grappled with both Boko Haram insurgency and criminal kidnapping syndicates, prompting courts to increasingly hand down capital sentences as a deterrent under anti-kidnapping laws that many states have strengthened in recent years.
The Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria's domestic intelligence agency, has taken an expanded role in investigating and prosecuting kidnapping cases alongside the police, with this conviction reported as its seventh death sentence secured this year. Coverage across outlets agrees on the core facts — three convicts, two abducted Catholic priests, a February 2025 incident, and judgment delivered by Justice Christopher Mapeo at the Adamawa High Court — while Leadership adds specific detail on the location, Saint Anne Catholic Church in Gweda Mallam, Numan LGA. None of the reports indicate whether the convicts plan to appeal or provide details of the ransom demanded at the time of the abduction.