A man who is standing trial over alleged culpable homicide, Tijani Mohammed, has told an FCT High Court in Nyanya how he was allegedly forced by the police to sign a statement he didn’t author when he couldn’t afford N150,000 bail he was asked to pay.

Mohammed was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on culpable homicide.

The prosecuting counsel, Kufreabasi Ebong, had told the court that the defendant 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.

Mohammed, who pleaded not guilty to the allegation against him, gave his account in his evidence in chief before the court on October 24.

Narrating the incident that led to his arrest and detention at Karu police station on July 14, 2017, Mohammed said one day he was at his Barber’s shop when the deceased and one Nuhu were engaged in a fight in front of the shop.

He claimed that he went to make peace between the two, but that the deceased accused him of being biased.

He said the following day, he was returning from the Mosque around 8 p.m when he was attacked by the deceased and five of his friends.

The defendant said the deceased pushed him and one of his friends took a plank from the gutter and hit him with it.

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

“On July 14, 2017, on my way to my shop, some policemen stopped me and said I was under arrest for 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 a different statement.

The defendant told the court that he was in 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.

The defence counsel prayed the court for a date to enable him to bring his remaining witnesses.

Justice Peter Kekemeke then adjourned the matter until November 6 for the continuation of defence.

Meanwhile, Kekemeke also ordered Mohammed’s lawyer, Chibuzor Eze, to pay a sum of N10,000 for falling to appear in court to take his matter in the case.

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The judge gave the order after receiving a letter from Eze praying for adjournment.

Kekemeke, in addition, ordered the counsel to pay the amount to the court and obtain a receipt which must be shown to the court at the next adjourned date.

He added that today’s date was fixed in the presence of the counsel and he never objected to it and did not indicate that he would not be around.

 

NAN