“Give Victor Another Chance”: Youth Coalition Rallies for Independent Review of Death Sentence

By: Abubakar Labaran

A coalition of youth groups, including the Middle Belt Youth Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, Afenifere Youth, and PANDEF Youth, has called for an independent review of the death sentence handed to Victor Solomon, popularly known as “Zidane.”

Addressing a press conference in Kafanchan, the headquarters of Jema'a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the Kaduna State Chairman of the Middle Belt Youth Forum, Samuel Wuya, urged Governor Uba Sani to grant a stay of execution pending an independent review of the case.

The groups expressed ongoing concerns over the broader context of the trial and the lingering communal crisis in Southern Kaduna. They also urged the judiciary to ensure fairness in the appellate process and appealed to the Federal Government, the National Human Rights Commission, and international human rights bodies to monitor the case closely.

After the press conference, the groups held a peaceful demonstration along parts of the main road in Kafanchan Town, carrying placards with various inscriptions appealing to the government to give Victor another chance.

It should be recalled that Solomon, a member of the Adara community in Southern Kaduna, was sentenced to death by hanging by a Kaduna State High Court on January 6, 2026, over charges linked to violent communal clashes in Kajuru Local Government Area.

The case has continued to generate debate across Southern Kaduna, particularly because Solomon had earlier been discharged and acquitted in another criminal case in 2024 involving allegations of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide. However, the Kaduna State Government maintained that the two matters were separate cases involving different offences and victims.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, James Kanyip, explained that the earlier case, marked KDH/KAD/73C/2020, ended with Solomon’s acquittal on May 21, 2024. He said the second case, marked KDH/KAD/78C/2020, bordered on criminal conspiracy, grievous harm without provocation, and culpable homicide punishable by death, which led to Solomon’s conviction in January 2026.

“There is no contradiction in the court outcomes being referenced online. Victor Solomon was tried in two completely different cases,” Kanyip said.

He added that the conviction followed due process, a full trial, and judicial evaluation of evidence, stressing that the defendant retains the constitutional right to appeal up to the Supreme Court.

Solomon was first arrested in 2018 following violent communal clashes involving Adara and Fulani communities in Kajuru during a period of deadly attacks and reprisals in parts of Southern Kaduna. While supporters describe him as a community defender who protected residents during attacks, critics insist the matter should be treated strictly as a criminal justice issue.