Court remands two for allegedly killing Katsina village head

A Katsina Senior Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded two members of a gang that allegedly killed Abdulkadir Hamma, the village head of Birchi in Safana local government area of Katsina State.

The court remanded them in prison custody till January 28, 2019 for mention.

The accused are 30-year-old Lawal AbdulRahman of Ummadau village and 30-year-old Ibrahim Ali of Birchi village, both in the Safana local government area.

Katsina police told the court that Messrs AbdulRahman and Ali conspired with Ibrahim Ziri, Ibrahim Jaji and Ibrahim Yalle, who are still at large, to kill the village head.

The accused and their alleged accomplices are charged with criminal conspiracy, intimidation and culpable homicide contrary tosections 98, 397 and 221 of the Penal Code.

AbdulRahman was said to be the first to be arrested after he had threatened to deal with his father-in-law.

The court was informed that AbdulRahman recently warned his wife, one Halima, to go and caution her father, who he accused of disturbing him over some cattle.

He allegedly threatened to invite his gang from the Rugu forest to help kill his wife’s father if he continued to disturb him, just like they murdered the village head.

This was contained in the police First Information Report which was read out in court.

According to the police FIR, someone who heard the threat consequently lodged a complaint at the police station which led to AbdulRahman’s arrest.

The FIR read in part, “During investigation, the suspect confessed and stated that he conspired with others to go to Birchi village and shoot the village head to death.”

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lawal Bello said investigation into the case was still in progress.

Mr Bello requested for an adjournment which the presiding Senior Magistrate Hajiya Dikko granted.