Presiding Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan of Minna Chief Magistrate Court 2 has ordered the remand in correctional custody of four suspects who were allegedly connected to the deaths of two Fulani herdsmen in Tugan Mallam of Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State.
The deceased, Sanusi Bello and Abdulraheem Yakubu, were murdered, and their bodies, houses and properties set ablaze.
The defendants were arraigned in court on four counts of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt, and mischief by fire.
The suspects, who are also herdsmen, include Yahaya Jibrin, Yakubu Hassan, Abubakar Danladi, and Abubakar Ali, all of whom hail from a Fulani settlement camp in Lambata, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.
Police prosecutor ASP Mua’azu Abdullahi had told the court that the four-count charges were punishable under sections 97, 221, 248, and 337 of the Penal Code.
According to the Police First Information Report, marked MN/CMC/CR/6/2024: “The four defendants conspired among themselves with ( another now at large ), armed themselves with cutlasses, attacked, and macheted Abdulraheem Yakubu and Sanusi Bello all over their bodies. Sanusi Bello died instantly, while Abdulraheem Yakubu was rushed to a clinic in Tugan Mallam, where he died while in the clinic.”
The police prosecutor also explained that after committing the heinous act, the defendants further set the bodies, houses and properties of the deceased on fire and burned them.
However, when the charges were read to them, only one of them pleaded guilty and admitted committing the offences.
Hence, the presiding magistrate, Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, explained that her court was only taking their plea on a preliminary hearing as it lacked the power to try them.
She told the police prosecutor to, as a matter of urgency, forward their case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state Ministry of Justice for legal advice.
She adjourned the case to January 24, 2024.
