87-year-old man attacks judge with cutlass in court, pleads guilty and blames the devil

• An 87-year-old man allegedly attacked a judge with a cutlass during an ongoing court hearing in Adamawa State.

• Dahiru Garba pleaded guilty when arraigned and told the court that the devil was responsible for his actions.

• The accused was remanded in a Yola correctional facility while the case continues.

An 87-year-old man has been arraigned in Adamawa State after allegedly attacking a presiding judge with a cutlass during an ongoing court hearing, severing his hand and causing grievous injuries before being immediately arrested.

The incident occurred on August 31 at the Mayo-Ine Area Court in Fufore Local Government Area, where Dahiru Garba of Korawa village was a defendant in an active case being heard before Judge Dauda Hamman.

According to the Adamawa State Police Command, Garba produced a cutlass during proceedings and attacked the judge, inflicting severe cuts to his hand. The motive for the attack has not been fully established, though it occurred while the judge was presiding over a dispute between Garba and another man, Ismail Yusuf.

Garba was immediately arrested at the scene and the case was subsequently transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters in Fufore to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yola for further investigation.

On Monday, September 8, he was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Yola on a one-count charge of causing grievous hurt under Section 219 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State.

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When the charge was read and interpreted to him, Garba pleaded guilty and told the court the devil was responsible for his actions. He said he deeply regretted what he had done.

The court ordered that he be remanded at the Yola Correctional Facility pending further hearing.

Adamawa State Commissioner of Police Kabir Hassan assured the public that the matter would be diligently prosecuted.

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The attack on a sitting judge inside an active courtroom has drawn attention to security arrangements at area courts across the country, where judges frequently preside over community disputes that can carry significant emotional stakes for the parties involved.