By TALATU MAIWADA

Two brothers, Ibrahim Yusuf, 62, and Samaila Yusuf, 48, on Wednesday confessed to killing their 85-year-old father, Yusuf Kwada, whom they accused of practising witchcraft in Zah village in Adamawa.

The two brothers told a Jimeta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Yola, presided over by Bilkisu Tijani, that they killed their father by hitting him on the head with a stick.

The siblings were arraigned by the police, on a two-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.

When asked by the Chief Magistrate whether the allegations against them were true, the defendants, who had no legal representation in court, admitted to committing the crime.

”Truly, we killed our father. We led him into the bush and while there we hit his head with a big stick and he died.

“We decided to kill him because he used diabolic ways to kill six of his grandchildren in the family. He also killed some people in our community.

“Everyone is speaking ill of our family. They call him a witch and we can’t stand the shame and hurt he has brought upon us,” the older of the siblings said.

The two brothers were reported to have committed the act on June 9 before dumping his corpse in the bush.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, ASP Ezra Bulus, had told the court that the complainant, Amina Ibrahim of Zah village in the Michika Local Government Area (LGA) was the deceased’s daughter.

She had reported the matter at the police station on July 1 at 10 a.m.

The counsel said the alleged offences were grievous crimes which required legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and prayed the court to adjourn the matter until July 30.

He stated that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 160 and 191 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa 2018.

The Chief Magistrate, who did not take the pleas of the defendants because of lack of jurisdiction, ordered their remand in the correctional centre.

She directed that the case file should be duplicated and a copy sent to the office of the DPP for legal advice.

Tijani subsequently adjourned the case to July 30, for mention or receipt of outcome of DPP’s advice.

“This case has been adjourned to July 30, to enable the police finish their investigation and to forward the case file to the DPP for legal advice,” the Chief Magistrate said. (NAN)

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