Posted by By PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi on
The three widows of a 43-year-old judge, who was assassinated recently in Yuga village, in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State are demanding justice.
* Widows demand justice over judges brutal murder
The three widows of a 43-year-old judge, who was assassinated recently in Yuga village, in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State are demanding justice.
The victim, Daiyabu Musa Abdullahi, a sharia court judge in Rauta village, in Toro, was butchered, like an animal, by his attackers whose aim was to ensure he died painfully.
The late Daiyabu's wives, in an encounter with Daily Sun at their residnce in Dass Local Governemnt Area believed their husband's death could have been averted if the authorities had shown concern and acted promptly when he raised alarms of threats to his life.
The first wife, Rabi Daiyabu , a staff of the Magistrate's Court in Tafawa Balewa, broke down in tears while the second wife, Adama sat quietly, with every indication that she had cried herself to stupor.
The women, united marraige and in grief, knew that their husband's death was a huge blow on the family, as they do not know where to start and who would take care of the eight children he let behind.
According to the youngest wife, Zuwaira Daiyabu, their husband complained bitterly about a traditional ruler, who openly declared on several occasions, that he would kill him. The traditional ruler and three other suspects have been arrested following the judge's death. Daiyabu's widows say he has a hand in their husband's death and they want justice.
Zuwaira said: 'One day during the fasting period, my husband told me that a certain man came to inform him about an accident he had with a Fulani man which resulted in him having serious injuries and was hospitalised. The man told me that the Fulani man ran away after the accident but that he knew where he lived.
'My husband then wrote that the Fulani man should appear in court. When they came, the Fulani man pleaded guilty and my husband asked him to pay the sum of N25, 000 to the victim as compensation and gave him seven days to bring the money," he said.
Zuwaira told Daily Sun that trouble began when the Fulani man came to give her husband the sum of N20, 000 and a ram and 'told my husband that instead of the money to go to the man who was a Christain; he (the husband) should take the money. My husband then replied that if he did that, there is no justice and he had already pleaded guilty in court before many witnesses. My husband said he could not do that and asked him to leave his house."
According to Zuwaira, the man then took the items to the traditional ruler, who summoned her husband and asked him to collect the money so that they could share it, which he refused.
'Later in the day, the traditional ruler summoned a village meeting and sent for my husband. When he got there, he took sand from the ground and poured on my husband and told him ‘I will kill you like and ant and if I don't kill you, you will leave this village with your back'
'My husband came late that night, some people had already told me what happened, but I wanted to hear from his mouth and when he told me, I advised him to do something about it," the woman said.
After this encounter, the judge ran into another problem when he attempt to contract a wedding.
'It was a young girl who wanted to remarry after her first marriage ended in divorce. Her parents refused, so she came to my husband to ask for help, saying that if they did not allow her to marry the man she loved, she would go into prostitution. My husband then sent for her parents but they refused. He reported the matter to the Grand Khadi who gave papers to my husband and the district head to sign so that the marriage rites would be carried out.
'The district head signed and on Friday, the day billed for the marriage, we saw a note on our window, ‘If you go ahead with the marriage, we will kill you even in your house'. I became afraid, but my husband assured me that since the order was from the Grand Khadi, he must carry it out so I advised him to show the letter to him and if he did not do anything about it, then he can leave the job, but the Grand Khadi did not do anything about it," she said.
Zuwaira, who started to shed tears at this moment, disclosed that shortly after this incidence, Daiyabu travelled to Yuga village on his motorcycle and some men started pursuing him. The judge ran for his dear life but one of them caught up with him and warned him that the traditional ruler sent some Fulani herdsmen to kill him but that they did not do it because her husband was a just and easygoing person.
'When my husband told me everything that happened, I advised him that this time around, he must do something about the threats. I told him that I wouldn't stay in that village again if he did not do anything. He told me that as a judge, he had done everything possible within the law but it was the Grand Khadi that refused to transfer him.
'He went to Bauchi to meet the Grand Khadi who told him that he had been transferred to Lago village but he won't go. What is the need for this? My husband was to go on Monday but the Grand Khadi told him to leave on Tuesday? And that Tuesday was the day he was killed.
'That day he did not eat. It was getting dark when my husband left with Lawandi who worked under him, who carried his motorcycle," she said.
That was the last time Zuwaira set eyes on her husband. She waited all night but he did not come. 'I heard the sound of a motorcycle more than once at intervals. I became very anxious. Two men came later and knocked and I came out, one was carrying bow and arrows and told me that they were looking for one ‘inspector's' house. I told them they were in the wrong house and they left.
'I left the door open thinking that my husband would come. Much later that night, some Fulani men opened my window and pointing their touch lights on me and said ‘Don Ubank saura kei' (meaning you are the next). If you don't come out this night, we will burn you alive or kill you in the house. I took a touch and told them that they were liars and they can't do me anything and even if they killed me, they will pay for it. I was pointing my touch in their direction and went outside but they ran away"
Zuwaira said she started to have the feeling that something terrible might have happened to her husband and she called for help. It was pretty late and there was nothing she could do. She went back to the house, but could not sleep.
She later heard about her husband's death, and how he was cut into pieces.
'I went to the site he was killed. Blood was everywhere. I immediately came to the Grand Khadi's office and I told him that I was the wife of the judge he sent for earlier.
'I came to Specialists Hospital, Bauchi to look for my husband's corpse. Somebody told me that his corpse had been taken to Toro General Hospital, not knowing that he had already been buried without the consent of the family," she lamented.
As condemnation continue to greet Daiyabu's murder, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Bauchi has given indication that it would follow the case to its logical conclusion.
The NBA scribe in Bauchi, Barrister Keffas Magaji, said the death of Daiyabu has exposed the neglect that judicial officers, especially judges face in the state.
'The judges do not have security and we have had cause to express concern about the situation. Daiyabu died, he had no police protection in his house and even in the court," he said.
Meanwhile, as Daiyabu's family mourns their bread winner, Daily Sun gathered from the family that no condolence message has been received from the state government.