YOLA COURT REMANDS ROYAL FATHER, DEACON FOR ACCUSING WOMAN OF WITCHCRAFT

 

For allegedly accusing a 50 year old woman of witchcraft, the Ward Head Palamole and a Deacon in Guyuk Local Government Area, Adamawa state have been remanded in prison over defamation of character.

The Ward Head, Yoila and Deacon Markus were charged before Chief Magistrate court 4 for accusing 50 year old woman, Yaliga Chrisjones of Palamole of witchcraft and alleged that it was the woman that bewitched one Sunday Markus.

Earlier, Yaliga in a direct criminal complaint lodged against the defendants, alleged that the defendants threatened to kill as a result of which she fled her matrimonial home and has been away for 5 years now.

She narrated that the defendants criminally conspired and called her a witch who bewitched one Sunday Markus, whom she was sharing boundary in the farm.

According to her, there was a time that she begged for beans seedlings from Sunday to complete planting her farm when herself and Sunday were working in their different farms in Guyuk in 2015.      

She explained that sometimes later Sunday fell sick and the defendants and others conspired and started calling her with names and said the she was the one that tied his spirit and warned her to untie him.  

She informed the court that the Ward Head summoned a meeting of the members of his ward including youths and told them that the youths can be able to identify a witch among them and ready to kill whoever is identified to be a witch. 

Yaliga disclosed that it was as a result of their threat to her life that she fled to Yola for her safety since 2015, and said that the action of the defendants amounted to criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and defamation of character contrary to sections 96, 396 and 391 of the state penal code law.

But when the charge sheet was read and explained to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.

Thereafter, the court presided by Magistrate Abdulrazak Adamu, adjourned the matter to 15th March, 2021 for hearing and further ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody until then.