DSS SECURES SEVENTH DEATH SENTENCE AS ADAMAWA COURT CONVICTS THREE FOR KIDNAPPING CATHOLIC PRIESTS By: Zagazola Makama A High Court of Adamawa State has sentenced three men to death for kidnapping two Catholic priests in February 2025, bringing to seven the number of death sentences reportedly secured by the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2026. The convicts, Taledo Demiel, Namomai Medan and Mikaila Yusuf, were sentenced on Thursday by Justice Christopher Mapeo after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, harbouring kidnapped persons and negotiating to receive ransom. The case involved the abduction of Reverend Fathers Matthew Dutsemi and Abraham Sauman. The latest judgment adds to a series of capital convictions recorded in different courts across the country this year in cases involving kidnapping, terrorism, armed violence and the killing of civilians. On May 20, 2026, an Ekiti State High Court sentenced two men, Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar, to death by hanging for kidnapping. On June 3, 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 2022 massacre of worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The four convicts were identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Alqasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulkareem Idris. On June 15, 2026, a Katsina State High Court sentenced a female arms courier, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death by hanging. The following day, June 16, a Kogi State High Court sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death by hanging for kidnapping and murdering his neighbour in Obajana, an industrial town in the state. On June 22, a Sokoto State High Court sentenced three men Muhammed Yusuf Sallau, Jabbi Ahlaji Yale and Kabiru Muhammed to death by hanging for terrorism and transporting arms. More recently, on September 28, 2026, a Sokoto State High Court sentenced Ibrahim Usman, popularly known as Dan Iyali, to death by hanging over his involvement in the killing of three kidnapped persons in the state. The Adamawa judgment marks another significant development in the prosecution of violent crimes, particularly kidnapping for ransom, which continues to threaten communities, religious institutions and public safety in several parts of Nigeria. The convictions also underscore the role of intelligence and law enforcement agencies in supporting the prosecution of suspects accused of serious security-related offences. However, the sentences remain subject to the applicable legal processes, including any available appeal and the constitutional requirements governing the implementation of death sentences in Nigeria.