Three individuals were sentenced to death on Thursday, 22 October 2026, after a court in Adamawa found them guilty of abducting two Catholic priests and committing armed robbery. The judgment was delivered by Justice Christopher Mapeo of the [High Court of Adamawa State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamawa_State), and it brings the total number of death sentences secured by the [Department of State Services (DSS)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_State_Services) in 2026 to seven.
**What were the charges?**
The men – Taledo Demiel, Namomai Medan and Mikaila Yusuf – were convicted of criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, harbouring kidnapped persons and negotiating a ransom. Their actions targeted Reverend Fathers Matthew Dutsemi of the Catholic Diocese of Yola and Abraham Sauman of the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, who were seized in February 2025.
**How were the suspects apprehended?**
Taledo Demiel, who was identified as a church member, was arrested after security forces rescued the priests from a criminal hideout. The other two defendants were captured in subsequent operations linked to the same kidnapping network.
**What did officials say about the ruling?**
The Department of State Services stated, "The latest judgment raises the 2026 death‑sentence tally to seven, underscoring the government's zero‑tolerance stance on kidnapping and terrorism." The agency highlighted the broader pattern of violent crimes, including terrorism, armed violence and civilian murders, that have prompted a series of capital punishments across several states.
**What other recent death‑sentence cases have occurred in Nigeria?**
- On 20 May 2026, an Ekiti State High Court sentenced Ibrahim Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar to death for kidnapping.
- On 3 June 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja handed death sentences to four men for their role in the June 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
- On 15 June 2026, a Katsina State High Court sentenced female arms courier Hauwa’u Mukhtar to death.
- On 16 June 2026, a Kogi State High Court sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death for kidnapping and murdering his neighbour in Obajana.
- On 22 June 2026, a Sokoto State High Court sentenced three men – Muhammed Yusuf Sallau, Jabbi Ahlaji Yale and Kabiru Muhammed – to death for terrorism and arms trafficking.
- On 28 September 2026, another Sokoto State High Court sentenced Ibrahim Usman, known as Dan Iyali, to death for the murder of three kidnapped victims.
These rulings reflect a nationwide crackdown on kidnapping, terrorism and related violent crimes, with courts across several states imposing the maximum penalty in an effort to deter future offenses.