Community, family trade words over Emmanuel Francis' stabbing

Emmanuel Francis, a carpenter was stabbed severally while eating during fasting hours by some youth in Kakuri.

Speaking at a press conference today, Monday, June 13, 2016, the community said Emmanuel Francis was never attacked because he was not fasting but sustained injuries during a fight with his friends.

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The community during the press conference held at a District head palace at the premises of Kakuri Police station, read by Garkuwan Kakuri, Rabiu Ahmed, said Francis fought with his Muslim friends following a disagreement at a join.

"This issue is a case of quarrel that ensued between some young men from Makera community and Iboyi (Francis Emmanuel) who is from Kakuri. All the parties are not responsible people in the society."

"The group came and entered a roadside drinking joint along Sokoto by Gora junction. The group were said to have come looking for their brother but could not find him," Ahmed said.

In a swift reaction, Francis’ elder brother, Paul, said the press conference was stage managed because of religion.

Paul said the District head has been making efforts to discredit the true story of what happen in Kakuri adding that, “The District head was at the hospital and made efforts to discredit the story using on Nasiru Abubakar. But they have failed. When my brother was brought to the hospital by a good samaritan, a civilian JTF, Steven Godwin Sunday, he was unconscious and the medical personnel who treated him testify that he was not under alcoholism. All there plans have fail because my younger brother is a responsible person with a hand work. We have reported the matter to security agencies," Paul said.

At the conference earlier, the community through the spokesman, Ahmed, said: "They (Francis and the gang) had several exchange of words with Iboyi who has finished drinking and was sitting, eating opka. Iboyi told them to leave the place and they responded by saying that they were not there to see him. He threatened to deal with them if they did not leave. He pulled out a knife with the intention of stabbing one of the gang members but missed and one of the gang members attempted to hold the knife but cut his hand in the process."

The spokesman, Garkuwan Kakuri, Rabiu Ahmed said an eyes witness Nasiru Abubakar was busy making efforts to push away the gang to a nearby electric transformer but they over powered him.

"In the process, one of the gang member tried to attack Iboyi with scissors but Nasiru blocked him. Another member had already taken the knife from Iboyi (Emmanuel Francis) and stabbed him severally."

Speaking from his hospital bed on Monday, June 13, 2016, Emmanuel Francis said he went to buy food but was attacked by people he has not seen before.

"How will I hold a knife when I went to market to buy food? I bought Opka and I was eating but the boys came, asking me why I was not fasting and before I knew it, one of them slapped me and they started stabbing me. If I had held a knife, will I seat and watch them killing me? All of them left unhurt because seeing the kind of knife and matches these guys were holding many people deserted the place. I was unconscious and it was later on they told me a civilian JTF Sunday brought me to this hospital," Emmanuel said.