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, NAN reports.
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.
He said he quickly rushed into the house and also armed himself with a knife, after which the fight continued.
According to the statement, in the course of the fight, the deceased charged at the accused with a knife, but that he (accused) overpowered him and stabbed him on the head.
The statement further indicated that when the deceased fell down, the accused person took both knives home while the deceased was taken to a hospital in Jos, for treatment, where he later died.
The prosecutor said that the accused, in his statement, said that he had a misunderstanding with the deceased three weeks prior to the fight that led to the death.
The accused was further quoted as saying that the deceased had called him a ‘small boy’ which angered him, and a fight ensued.
He said that the deceased felt cheated in the first fight and came to his (accused) house to fight him in retaliation, but met his death.
According to the statement, the duo had been friends for a long time and had smoked Indian hemp together, three months before the incident.
Inegbenoise said that the offence contravened Section 221 of the Penal Code, Laws of Northern Nigeria, an offence punishable with death.
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