[News] Four men bag 10 year jail term for killing woman over claims of witchcraft

The Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa, has sentenced four men to 10 years in jail for allegedly conspiring to kill a woman over claims of witchcraft.

The convicts identified as Bello Abdu, 42, Maikudi Abdu, 25, Sale Mohammed, 26 and Musa Abubakar, 42, all cattle rearers, were arraigned in court for causing the death of Amina Mohammed Dauji, in the outskirt of Yola South Local Government Area.

According to the prosecuting team, Bello (1st Convict) who is an Elder Brother to Maikudi(2nd Convict), hired 2 of the other convicts at the sum N20, 000 who matcheted the woman to death.

Late Amina was accused by Bello as the one who was responsible for the death of his wife, Tobedo and his mother respectively, alleging that the deceased persons mentioned Amina’s name as a witch who was attacking them in their dream.

In his extra-judicial confessional statement admitted in evidence, the 1st convict narrated that they had a meeting with his younger brother and the other two other convicts on July 27, 2016 and perfected their plan on how to end the deceased’s life.

According to him, during their meeting which was held at Ngurore market, Sale and Musa agreed to go and kill the woman; however, demanded the sum of N20, 000, which he agreed to pay as soon as they kill her. After the arrangement, the hit men who armed themselves with cutlasses, stormed the residence of the deceased by night with Maikudi who stayed outside the building. The duo entered the room of Late Amina on July 28, 2016 and hit her on her forehead and stomach with their cutlasses which led to her death.

It was the daughter of late Amina who ran to her father and husband of the Deceased, Mohammed Dauji, where she told him that some people have killed her mother. After receiving the news, Mohammed Dauji, who suddenly came out of his room, was able to identify Maikudi, amongst the convicts he met in his compound where he pursued them but could not catch anyone aside from the cutlass which they left and he picked.

Mohammed Dauji returned back and met his wife lifeless in a pool of blood as a result of which he reported the matter which led to the arrest of the Convicts.

During trials, the Prosecution assembled 6 Witnesses, tendered statements of the Convicts, cutlass which were all admitted in evidence, while the Defendants testified for themselves as DW1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

However, before

the judge gave her ruling, the convicts who still denied killing the woman, pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy, informing the Judge that they have wives, many children and other dependants to take care off.

Delivering his judgment, Hon. Justice Nathan Musa, said

“Having heard the allocutus plea coming from the convicts and having been informed by the Prosecution that they were all first time offenders, I shall temper justice with mercy by sentencing them to 10 years imprisonment without option of fine”.

He declared that from the statements of the Convicts to the Police, it has proved that the 1st and 2nd Convicts hired the 3rd and 4th Convicts to go and kill the Deceased.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the Prosecution, A. S. Digil (Senior State Counsel 2), appreciated the court for what he described as a sound judgment.