Court Hears Defence as Trial of Alleged Killers of Lambata Village Head Continues in Suleja

The Niger State High Court sitting in the Suleja Judicial Division has resumed hearing into the killing of the late Village Head of Lambata in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulsafur, three years after the incident occurred.

Some irate youths believed to be loyalists of a purported acclaimed village head, Illyasu Umar Sarki, who is also a defendant in the matter, are standing trial alongside 28 other suspects over the killing of the late village head.
At Tuesday’s resumed hearing, the defence counsel, Barrister Baba Shehu, opened the defence before Justice Aisha Bawa Wodu of Suleja High Court Number Four.
Counsel to the first accused person and 19 other defendants, Barrister Baba Shehu Ahmed, presented four witnesses from among the accused persons to testify for the defence.
The first defence witness, Musa Mohammed Atanda, who is the 12th defendant in the matter and prosecution witness one, told the court that he was not in Lambata at the time the village head was killed, as he had travelled to the neighbouring village of Tufa to obtain medicine for his sick mother.
He said he later received a call from one Mai Anguwa Umaru informing him that there was a crisis in Lambata.
According to him, he returned to Lambata and discovered that security personnel had taken over the area. He then went to his house where he stayed indoors until he was invited to the Police Area Command in Suleja, where he was subsequently arrested.
During cross-examination by the prosecuting Chief State Counsel, Barrister Umar Halilu, the witness denied not knowing Mohammed Abdulsafur, who was appointed as the village head of Lambata and later killed.
He also told the court that since the death of the last village head about 10 years ago, neither the acclaimed village head, Iliyasu Umar Sarki, nor any other person had been officially appointed as village head of Lambata.
The second defence witness, Yunusa Ibrahim, a cousin to the acclaimed village head, also told the court that he was unaware of the incident because he was at Lambata Market when it occurred.
He said he only learnt about the incident from his father after returning from the market later in the evening. According to him, the following day, his cousin, Iliyasu Umar Sarki, was arrested and taken to the State CID in Minna.
He further stated that he too was arrested two weeks later at the State CID when he went to secure bail for some arrested persons connected to the crime. He explained that family members of the deceased village head saw him there and informed the police that he was among the suspects.
The witness also told the court that he was not aware of the appointment of Mohammed Abdulsafur as village head of Lambata, adding that his cousin, Iliya Umar Sarki, had also not been appointed as village head at any time since the death of the late village head, Shuaibu Gani, in 2019, although he admitted he did not know who was responsible for appointing village heads in Lambata.
The presiding judge, Justice Aisha Wodu Bawa, urged counsel in the matter to assist the court by avoiding unnecessary technicalities capable of delaying proceedings, stating that the court intended to speed up the case to ensure that those found culpable are prosecuted and justice served to deserving parties.
She subsequently adjourned the matter to Tuesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 15, 2026, for continuation of hearing.