Alleged culpable homicide: Court fixes Dec. 5 for adoption of written addresses

Court

An FCT High Court Nyanya on Thursday fixed Dec.5 for adoption of written addresses in a case of alleged culpable homicide filed against a barber, Tijani Mohammed.

The police charged Mohammed with culpable homicide.

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The prosecuting counsel, Mr Kufreabasi Ebong, earlier alleged that the defendant had stabbed and killed one Samsudeen Abdullahi with a knife at Anguwan Hausawa, Karu, FCT.

Ebong said the offence contravened Section 221 of the Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the allegation against him.

Justice Peter Kekemeke adjourned until Dec. 5 after Mohammed’s counsel Mr Chibuzo Ezike informed the court that defence was closing their case.

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Ezike informed the court that he had a conference with his three remaining witnesses earlier.

According to him ‘ we have some challenges, it seems that there is a sense of threat from the deceased family and some Hausa boys in that area.’

‘ In this circumstance, we will close the defence case, it is unfortunate ‘ he said.

On Oct. 24, Mohammad testified that on events that occurred on July 14, 2017.

Mohammed stated that the deceased and one other man, had an altercation in from of his barbershop and he came out to make peace between the two, but that the deceased accused him of being biased.

He said the following day, the deceased in the company of five others, attacked him at about 8 p.m. while he was returning from the Mosque.

“Samsudeen brought out a knife and wanted to stab me. I pushed him and ran away.

“On July 14, 2017, on my way to my shop, some policemen stopped me and said I was under arrest for causing the death of Samsudeen.

“They took me to their station at Karu and handcuffed me.

“I met Nuhu at the police station, the Investigation Officer (IPO) asked us to bring N150, 000 each, I could not afford it, but Nuhu’s parents gave the money and he (Nuhu) was released,’’ he told the court.

He also alleged that the police had rejected the statement he gave, beat him up and forced him to sign the one written by them.

Mohammed further told the court that the same thing happened when he was taken to the police command headquarters and handed over to one Sani Yakubu, as he was also forced to sign another different statement.

The defendant told the court that he was in the company of one Hamza and one Papa when the deceased and his friends attacked him.

He further said that he did not run away on the night of the fight as alleged by the police, but was at home.