Adamawa Court Sentences Three Men to Death for Kidnapping Catholic Priests

An Adamawa State High Court has sentenced three men to death by hanging for their involvement in the kidnapping of two Catholic priests in February 2025, marking the seventh death sentence reportedly secured by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria this year.

The court, presided over by Justice Christopher Mapeo, convicted Taledo Demiel, Namomai Medan and Mikaila Yusuf on Thursday, October 22, after finding them guilty of offences connected to the abduction of Reverend Fathers Matthew Dutsemi and Abraham Sauman.

The priests were kidnapped from their residence in the Gweda Mallam area of Numan Local Government Area, Adamawa State, in the early hours of February 22, 2025. The incident prompted a security operation that eventually led to their rescue and the arrest of suspects.

According to reports on the judgment, the three defendants were convicted of criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, harbouring kidnapped persons and negotiating to collect ransom for the priests’ release.

The court imposed the death penalty for the offences, bringing the case to a major judicial conclusion following more than a year of investigation and prosecution.

The latest judgment is the seventh death sentence reportedly secured by the DSS in 2026 in cases involving kidnapping, terrorism, murder and other serious crimes, according to reports by Nigerian media organisations.

Earlier this year, courts in Ekiti, Abuja, Katsina, Kogi and Sokoto handed down death sentences in separate cases involving kidnapping, the killing of worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, terrorism, arms trafficking and the murder of kidnapped victims.

The DSS has continued to pursue prosecutions involving violent crimes, including abductions for ransom, as security agencies face pressure to strengthen responses to kidnapping across the country.

The abduction of the two Catholic priests in Adamawa had drawn concern from religious leaders and residents. In April 2025, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri commended the DSS for rescuing the clerics, saying the operation was carried out without payment of ransom.

The sentencing underscores the serious penalties Nigerian courts can impose for kidnapping and related violent offences. However, death sentences remain subject to applicable legal procedures and any appeals available to the convicted persons.

Authorities have not publicly provided further details on whether the defendants intend to appeal the judgment.