Justice Abdul Nicodemus Awulu delivered the judgment on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. The court held that Halilu was guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping under Sections 12, 6(1), and 4(3)(a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping and Other Related Offences Prohibition Law, 2023.
According to the court, Halilu and members of his gang attacked Ever Ready Hotel in Angwa-Tiv, Obajana, on March 23, 2023, and abducted the proprietor, Uche Andrew Offo. His family reportedly paid a ransom of ₦2.5 million, but he was later killed.
The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025. Prosecutors told the court that investigations showed the victim identified Halilu during captivity as one of the abductors, noting that he was a neighbour.
Security sources also said further investigations linked Halilu and his gang to another kidnapping on April 2, 2023, involving Ibrahim Abdullahi in Oshokoshoko community, Lokoja, where a ₦5 million ransom was collected.
