4 In Prison For Killing Adamawa Woman Accused Of Witchcraft

The Chief Magistrate Court II sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has remanded four men in prison custody for allegedly killing a woman accused of witchcraft.

The court, headed by Magistrate M. A. Adamu, remanded the defendants, including Simon Zakaria, John Ayuba, Dauda Adamu and Bala Bulus.

Magistrate Adamu issued the remand order when the defendants were arraigned before him for criminal conspiracy offences, unlawful possession of weapons and culpable homicide.

The defendants who hail from Pallam community in Madagali local government area, allegedly conspired with three others and armed themselves with a single-barrelled gun as well as a dane gun and invaded the house of Esther Luka of the same address and opened fire on her.

According to the First Information Report tendered by the prosecution, the defendants had accused the deceased of witchcraft and shot her in the chest, leading to her death.

The victim, who was rushed to Cottage Hospital, Madagali, for treatment, was confirmed dead by a medical doctor on duty, which led to the arrest and arraignment of the defendants.

During court proceedings, Inspector Umar Abdullahi, who held the brief of Inspector Hamza Abdullahi, applied for the contents of the offences to be read to the defendants so they could enter their pleas.
All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, after which the judge adjourned the case to 2nd October, 2025, to enable the prosecution to transmit the case diary to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.