A young man named Abdullahi Suleiman will have his hand amputated as a punishment for severing the hand of a 14-year-old boy, Khalifa Abubakar.
This was the ruling of the Gombe State High Court 5, under the leadership of Justice A.M. Haruna.
The court found Suleiman guilty of severing the hand of Abubakar, with a machete.
According to source, the incident occurred on February 12, 2022, in the town of Moddibo, within Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The event was a wedding celebration that spiraled into a violent altercation around 11 p.m. This is even as the groom expelled all the guests due to the noise that had escalated.
The source reported that as the guests were leaving the event, Suleiman, who hails from Wajari village, used a machete to disperse the crowd alongside other youths. Abubakar, whose sandal fell during his escape, stopped to retrieve it. He was, however, attacked by Suleiman who used the machete on him, severing his right hand completely.
Abubakar was quickly rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe, by his relatives who were present at the scene. He received medical attention for the amputation at the hospital.
Abubakar’s family later filed a report at the Deba Police Station against Suleiman. However.
According to the report, Suleiman was, however, granted bail under suspicious motives. A situation that prompted the government to intervene.
The State Prosecutor, Barrister Y.G. Ahmad, filed charges before the Gombe State High Court, in 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 Suleiman was responsible for the crime. Three of the witnesses were eyewitnesses who testified that Suleiman was the one who struck Abubakar during the altercation.
The doctor who treated Abubakar 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 evidences, the court found Suleiman guilty of the offense,” the source said.
In convicting him, the court took into account Suleiman’s plea for forgiveness and expression of remorse. This is even as his lawyer, Y.A. Waziri, requested the court allow them to buy a prosthetic hand for Khalifa.
The court, however, rejected this request and ordered that Suleiman’s hand should amputated.
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