Soldier accused of stabbing man to death

A private in the Nigerian Army, Abdullahi Kabiru, was last Thursday arraigned before an Abuja High Court for allegedly stabbing a worker at Zuba Motor Park to death.

Abdullahi was accused of stabbing Musa Tanko to death with a knife, an offence punishable with death.

Police Prosecutor, Abdullahi Ogwu, told the court that during police investigation, the accused said he acted under self defence as he was attacked with sticks by the victim and two others, when he tried to borrow a pen from them.

The accused who pleaded not guilty in court, said he brought out his jack-knife to scare his attackers but that two ran away while Tanko tried to remove the knife from his hand.

“In the process of struggling to get the knife, it went straight to his neck and I had no intention of killing him,” the accused said.

The Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Edet Ubi, told the court that the accused wrote a voluntary statement to the police through the military authority, adding that investigation in the case was still on going.

Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu adjourned the case to June 23 for continuation of hearing.