A Minna High Court 1 presided by Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, has sentenced a middle-aged man, Stephen Jiya, to death by hanging for the murder of his biological mother, Mrs. Comfort Jiya. 


The deceased, a former Principal of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Sabon Wuse and Maryam Babangida Girls’ Science College, Minna, died after she was set ablaze by Stephen. 


Comfort was in her kitchen at her residence in Darusalam Area of Minna, when her son, said to be a drug addict, returned from Suleja on Monday December 20, 2021, and poured petrol on her before lighting her up. 


She was rushed to the General Hospital Minna by neighbours and later transferred to another medical facility where she succumbed to her injuries. 


Stephen was arrested by the state Criminal Intelligence Department (SCID) of the Police Command and confessed to the crime, claiming that his mother usually intruded into his marital affairs. 


Jiya was earlier arraigned before a magistrate court by the SCID operatives on provisional charges while awaiting legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for proper prosecution in a competent court. 


The DPP formally charged him on September 14, 2022, before Justice Halima Abdulmalik of High Court 1, under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law which provides a death penalty if found guilty.