Man cut judge hand wit cutlass inside court for Nigeria - wetin be di regulations guiding courtrooms?
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
One shocking incident happun for inside one courtroom for Fufore local govment area of Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria, wia one defendant attack di judge wey dey hear im case, and nearly cut off im hand wit cutlass.
Dauda Hamman na di judge wey dey in charge of Mayo-Ine Area Court and na on 31 August 2026 dis incident hapun wen e dey hear a land quarrel mata between one 87-year old man Dauda Garba and anoda man, Ismail Yusuf.
According to local tori pipo Daily Trust, as one of di witnesses for di mata dey give im evidence for court, Garba bin ask di witness question wey di witness no understand, and as di judge intervene to try explain di question to di witness, Mr Garba start to dey abuse di judge.
Di Judge, wey narate di tori by imsef to tori pipo from im hospital bed, tok say Mr Garba continue to dey abuse am and tok say e go even do more dan ordinary abuse.
As security pipo wan force Garba comot from di courtroom, e manage to escape from dia hand and carry one cutlass wey e bin don smuggle into di court, and rush towards di judge.
Hamman say as Garba raise di cutlass wan hit im for head, e quickly raise im hand to protect imsef, and di cutlass land for im hand, almost cutting off im arm.
Pipo for inside court later manage to overpower Garba and comot di cutlass from im hand, bifor police come arrest am, while dem also rush di judge to one local hospital for di area, and later to bigger hospital wia e still dey receive treatment.
Di Adamawa State police Command tok say dem don arraign di suspect, Mr Garba, bifor one Chief Magistrate Court for di state capital, Yola, and charge am wit one-count charge of causing grievous bodily harm according to section 219 of di Penal Code Law of Adamawa State.
According to di police, oga Garba plead guilty to di charge as e tok say e regret im action, and na devil handwork
Di presiding officer, Chief Magistrate Ismail Shelleng, give order make dem remand di suspect for Yola prison and adjourn di mata to 17 September 2026 for continuation.
Dis tori don raise many questions about di rules and regulations wey suppose dey in place for courtrooms, as many pipo dey wonder how di defendant manage to even fit bring in cutlass come court room.
Our tori pesin wey don cover plenty court cases don observe say even police officers in uniform, no dey allowed to enta courtroom wit dia work gun.
Even if na ogbonge criminal suspect dem dey bring to court, all di officers wey carry gun go stop for di door of di court room and di ones wey no carry gun go escort di suspect inside.
Regulations guiding courtroom
Di court dey also referred to as di temple of justice, therefore, even lawyers and judicial officers get how dem suppose behave for inside court room, especially wen di court dey in session.
One legal practitioner wey speak to BBC News Pidgin tok say e no get any specific law or legislation wey tok about wetin pesin must to do for court or not, but e get etiquettes wey dey guide courtroom wey evribodi must obey.
Here na some of di courtroom etiquettes:
- Weapons of any kind, or metal objects no dey allowed for inside court
- You no fit record live court sitting, either audio or video, except say di judge give you permission
- Silence gatz dey maintained for inside court to avoid distraction
- Be respectful to all for inside court - lawyers no dey allowed to use words wey fit dey offensive to dia opponents
- Evribodi must to stand up immediately di judge enta, and bow, and den sidon afta di judge don sidon
- Children no dey allowed for court sake of say dem fit cause disturbance and distraction
- Evribodi wey dey enta courtroom gatz dress appropriately, or else di court officials fit ask you to comot
- E no dey allowed to dey chop food inside court, especially wen di judge dey sit
- Phones gatz dey switched off for inside court - officials get power to seize phone wey ring out loud during court sitting
However, Mabel Ayiakpo, di legal practitioner wey tok to our tori pesin on top dis mata, tok say dis days, nobodi dey too search pipo as dem enta courtroom to make sure say dem no carry any object wey dem fit use injure pesin.
She also tok say since dis particular incident happun for northern Nigeria wia di usual clothing for men na normally flowing gowns, di defendant fit easily hide di cutlass for im gown and enta di court.
"Dis case now go be eyeopener for our security pipo to dey more strict bifor dem go allow pipo enta court, so somtin like dis no go happun agai," she tok.
