- The incident happened during a wedding celebration that turned into a melee and degenerated into a violent confrontation around 11 p.m.
In Gombe State, one Abdullahi Suleiman will have his hand amputated for chopping off the hand of a 14-year-old boy, Khalifa Abubakar, with a machete.
The judgement was handed down by Justice A.M. Haruna of the Gombe State High Court 5 on Thursday after finding Suleiman guilty.
The defendant was said to have committed the crime on February 12, 2022, in the town of Moddibo, within Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of the State.
The incident happened during a wedding celebration that turned into a melee and degenerated into a violent confrontation around 11 p.m. when the groom expelled all the guests due to the noise that had escalated.
As the guests were leaving the event, Abdullahi Suleiman, who hails from Wajari village, alongside other youths tried to get the situation under control by dispersing the crowd with a machete when Khalifa Abubakar, whose sandal fell during his escape, stopped to retrieve it. However, Abdullahi attacked him with the machete, severing his right hand completely.
Khalifa’s relatives quickly rushed him to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe, where he received medical attention for the amputation.
Following the incident, Khalifa’s family filed a report at the Deba Police Station. However, Abdullahi Suleiman was initially granted bail. The government subsequently stepped in , and the State Prosecutor, Barrister Y.G. Ahmad, filed charges before the Gombe State High Court, Case No. GM/88c/2022.
During the trial, the court heard five witnesses from the prosecution side, including Khalifa Abubakar, all of whom confirmed that Abdullahi Suleiman was responsible for the crime. Three of the witnesses were eyewitnesses who testified that Abdullahi was the one who struck Khalifa during the altercation.
The doctor who treated Khalifa was also called to testify, providing evidence of the medical treatment he administered.
On the defendant’s side, two witnesses were presented, but their testimonies did not provide strong evidence to counter the prosecution’s case. After evaluating the evidence, the court found Abdullahi Suleiman guilty of the offense.
Upon confirming the conviction, the court took into account Abdullahi Suleiman’s plea for forgiveness and expression of remorse. However, his lawyer, Y.A. Waziri, requested the court allow them to buy a prosthetic hand for Khalifa. The court, however, rejected this request
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