Two young men on Thursday, appeared before Adamawa State High Court of Justice No 7 over alleged gruesome murder of a 13 year old girl, Jemimah Reuben.
The young men, Barnabas Peter, 21, and Augustine Anthony, 23, are facing trial before Justice Ishaku Yakubu Haliru, for armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable with death.
Both Barnabas and Augustine, who hail from Badarisa in Girei Local Government Area, were formerly arraigned before the trial court for allegedly killing Jemimah Reuben and robbing her of the sum N37, 000.
In their evil attempt to rob the girl, the 1st Defendant(Barnabas) allegedly stabbed her with a broken bottle on the neck and mangled her to death with heavy sticks and made away with POS machine and hand bag.
It all began on the 9th October, 2020 where Barnabas, informed Augustine, about his effort to raise money either by hook or crook to replace the one he had stolen at their family compound.
In order to raise money for that purpose, both defendants conspired to go and rob a female POS operator known as Zippora Zaro, of the same address on the 10th October, 2020 by putting illicit drugs in her food to make her fall asleep.
On that fateful day, Augustine gave Barnabas, hard drugs where he grinded same and applied it on a chocolate and proceeded to Zippora's POS shop to perpetrate their crime.
On his arrival at the shop, Barnabas met late Jemimah, daughter of the shop owner, who informed him that Zippora, had requested her to stay in the shop and left for home due to stomach pain as a result of menstrual circle.
NEWS PLATFORM learnt that the 1st defendant who knew the deceased very well, removed the chocolate from his pocket and gave her, and that the girl collected it, and immediately returned it back to him after she had tasted it without anything happening to her.
But after his failed attempt to make the girl fall asleep and rob her, Barnabas returned to the residence of his friend where he narrated what transpired and devised another method of robbing late Jemimah.
It was gathered that Barnabas, wore different clothes, put on a cap and covered his face with a veil and stormed the POS shop for second time where gave late Jemimah ATM card to withdraw the sum of N2000, but it was discovered that there was no money in the account.
The Defendant who knew very well that there was no money account, insisted that the deceased must withdraw the sum of N1000 for him unknown to the innocent girl that the hoodlum was planning on how to rob her.
While she was trying to insert ATM card in the machine, Barnabas grabbed her neck, dragged her, and that in the process, the girl removed his veil and recognised it was Barnabas.
It was at this juncture that Barnabas, picked a coca cola bottle and violently hit the helpless girl in the face until the bottle got broken and also used the broken bottle and stabbed her on the neck where she fell down.
He there and then picked a stick and beat her 3 times leaving her lifeless in her pool of blood after which he carried her bag and POS machine and fled the scene and hid himself in an uncompleted building.
NEWS PLATFORM gathered that Augustine who accompanied Barnabas at the scene of the crime, stood a distance away from the shop in order to signal him by raising up his hands if anybody is coming to the shop.
While in the uncompleted building, Barnabas, called Augustine, and informed him that he had succeeded in robbing the girl after killing her, and that he should meet him with his clothes in order change the blood soaked clothes used during the operation.
After changing his clothes, he escaped to Unguwan Fulani in Vunoklang and later went to Jimeta ultra modern market where he bought a trouser, t. shirt and pair of shoes at the sum of N6, 500, and also obtained ticket at the sum N11, 000, so as to escape to Lagos state the following day.
He later decided and travelled to Song town where he lodged in a hotel after paying the sum of N2000 and returned back to Yola, the following morning in order to travel to Lagos state as arranged.
On his arrival in Yola, he met with Augustine and gave him the sum of N7, 000 as his own share out of N37, 000 they had realised from the operation and bid each other farewell.
NEWS PLATFORM learnt that bubble finally bust at the time Barnabas, called his brother by name Mercel Peter, on phone where he pleaded with him to bring him some clothes because he wanted to escape to Lagos as he was the one resposible for the untimely death of Jemimah.
Upon receiving the news, Mercel immediately informed their father who also invited police officers and apprehended Barnabas.
It was Barnabas, who led the team of the police officers and arrested Augustine who both confessed to the gruesome murder of the girl.
But at the resumed sitting of the court on Thursday, Counsel to the prosecution, S. B. Digil (Senior State Counsel II) called a witness, Zippora Zaro, who testified against the Defendants and was throughly cross-examined by Counsel to the Defendants, A. M. Gindow.
The presiding judge, Hon. Justice Ishaku, adjourned to the case to the 5th and 6th October, 2022 for continuation of hearing and ordered that the defendants be returned to prison custody till then.
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