A Jos High Court on Monday adjourned to May 22, hearing in the case
of a 16-year-old boy, who allegedly stabbed his friend to death.
The judge, Justice D.D. Longji, adjourned the matter for definite
hearing after he discovered that the accused person, who is on remand at
the Young People’s Home, Jos was not available in court.
Longji ordered the prosecuting counsel to ensure that the accused person was brought before the court on the adjourned date.
The accused was first arraigned on Feb 8, on a one-count charge of culpable homicide.
He was accused of killing his friend, an allegation the accused had since denied.
The police prosecutor, Mr E. A Inegbenoise, of the State Criminal
Investigation and Intelligence Department, told the court that the
accused person committed the offence on Oct. 4, 2016.
Inegbenoise told the court that the accused person, on the said date,
used a knife to stab his victim to death, without any lawful
justification.
The police prosecutor said that the accused had told the police, in a confessional statement, that he acted in self-defense.
In the statement, the accused said that he was at home sleeping when the deceased sent someone to call him out.
It quoted the accused as saying that when he went out, he met the
deceased at the back of his (accused) house, in the company of two other
friends.
Inegbenoise further quoted the accused as saying that when he met
them, the deceased said he was there to fight him, but that when he
declined the fight, he (deceased) slapped him.
The accused, in the statement, said that they started a fight and in
the process, he saw the deceased with a knife strapped to his waist.
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