Court remands siblings for cutting off dad’s wrist in Niger

A magistrates’ court in Minna, Niger State, on Thursday ordered the remand of two brothers, Bello Usman (25) and Shehu Abubakar (25) in the Minna correctional centre for conspiring with two others, Shede Umar and Kai, to rustle their father’s cattle and in the process cut off his wrist.

The prosecutor, Inspector Aliyu Yakubu Kuta, told the court that on July 7, 2022, at about 11am one Abdullahi Rebe of Pyata village in Bosso LGA reported to the police that Bello Usman and Shehu Abubakar connived with one Shede Umar and Kai (surname unknown) and attacked their 60-year-old father, Usman Bello, with matchets which led to the loss of his right wrist and injuries on his left wrist.

When the charges were read and interpreted to the brothers, they admitted hiring and conspiring with those at large but that they did not ask them to cut off their father’s hand.

“We only told them to go and rustle the cattle of our father and not to cause any hurt on him, but they cut off his wrist. We did not send them to do what they did to our father,” They told the court through an interpreter.

The Magistrate, Hajiya Fati Hassan Umar, directed the police to expedite action in ensuring the arrest of the two fleeing suspects, ordered the remand of the brothers and adjourned to August 1.