An Area Court judge in Adamawa State is recovering from severe injuries after an 87-year-old defendant allegedly attacked him with a cutlass during an active court session.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Dauda Hamman, the presiding judge of the Mayo-Ine Area Court in Fufore Local Government Area, recounted the August 31 assault. The attack unfolded while he was hearing a land dispute between the octogenarian, Dahiru Garba of Korawa village, and complainant Ismail Yusuf over farmlands originally allocated by local authority Marafa Maye. Tensions escalated during cross-examination when a prosecution witness struggled to answer Garba’s questions. Judge Hamman intervened, instructing the court registrar to translate the testimony to ensure the defendant understood. Garba became enraged, hurled verbal abuse at the judge, and made violent threats.
Sensing danger, Judge Hamman ordered security officers to remand Garba and clear him from the courtroom. However, as officers attempted to escort him out, Garba broke free, pulled out a hidden short machete, and charged the bench. “I raised my arms to shield my head,” Judge Hamman recalled, sustaining deep cuts to his right hand before bystanders—Abubakar Honourable, Malam Musa, and the judge’s personal secretary—intervened and disarmed the assailant. Hamman was rushed to a local clinic before being transferred to a major medical facility for specialized treatment.
The Adamawa State Police Command confirmed the arrest and subsequent transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yola on September 4. State Police Spokesperson Suleiman Nguroje stated that Garba was arraigned on Monday before a Yola Chief Magistrate’s Court on a charge of causing grievous hurt under Section 219 of the Adamawa State Penal Code Law. Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ismail Bello Shelleng, Garba pleaded guilty, blaming the devil for his actions and expressing remorse. The court ordered him remanded at the Yola Correctional Facility until September 17.
Legal professionals have raised serious concerns over the security breach. Anonymous legal experts noted that depending on evidence regarding Garba’s intent—whether he targeted the judge’s head or limbs—the offense could carry penalties up to life imprisonment. Legal observers are calling for urgent security overhauls across lower courts, citing critical negligence in allowing an armed litigant to bypass court security and endanger judicial officers.
