87-Year-Old Man Arraigned for Severing Judge’s Hand in Adamawa Cutlass Attack

Adamawa Magistrate Court

87-Year-Old Man Arraigned for Severing Judge’s Hand in Adamawa Cutlass Attack

An 87-year-old man, Dahiru Garba, has been arraigned before a Yola Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly attacking an Area Court judge with a cutlass during court proceedings in Adamawa State, severing the judge’s hand in a shocking courtroom assault that has sparked outrage from judicial workers.

Garba, a resident of Korawa village in Fufore Local Government Area, allegedly attacked the Presiding Judge of Mayo-Ine Area Court, Hon. Dauda Hamman, on August 31, 2026, while the judge was presiding over a case involving Garba and one Ismail Yusuf. According to police reports, the elderly suspect suddenly produced a cutlass during the proceedings and struck the judge’s hand several times, inflicting grievous injuries and severing his hand in a moment of unthinkable violence inside the courtroom. Panic swept through the courtroom as security operatives scrambled to restore order and subdue the attacker. Garba was arrested at the scene shortly after the incident. The case was later transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters in Fufore to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yola on September 4, 2026, for deeper investigation.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, Garba was arraigned on Monday, September 8, 2026, before Chief Magistrate Court I, Yola, presided over by Chief Magistrate Ismail Bello Shelleng. He was charged with one count of causing grievous hurt, contrary to Section 219 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018. When the charge was read and interpreted to him, Garba pleaded guilty on the spot and reportedly blamed the devil for his action, expressing deep remorse for the violence he had unleashed. The court subsequently ordered that he be remanded at the Yola Correctional Facility pending further hearing. Police prosecutor, ASP Zakka Musa, prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Command. The Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, has assured the public that the case will be diligently prosecuted to ensure justice is served.

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The Adamawa State chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric, inhuman, heinous, unacceptable” and an assault on the nation’s legal system and constituted authorities. In a statement signed by its chairman, Comrade Fxenty Sanda Jonathan, JUSUN said the judge was macheted while performing his constitutional duties in the courtroom. “An arbiter of justice performing his constitutional duties as a judge should not be descended upon by armed men and macheted helplessly. This is unacceptable,” the union stated. JUSUN urged the government and relevant authorities to apprehend the perpetrators and make them face the full wrath of the law within the shortest possible time. The union also called for adequate security cover for magistrates and area court judges working in remote parts of the state, noting that “judges in rural courts are exposed to high risks due to the nature of cases they handle and the absence of sufficient protection, a situation that must be addressed urgently.” The union further threatened to shut down courts across the state if the perpetrators were not brought to book. Meanwhile, the Adamawa State Police Command has activated its signals and heightened surveillance to facilitate swift action on the matter. The attack has reignited urgent questions about security for judicial officers across Adamawa State, serving as a chilling reminder that courtrooms—built as sanctuaries of law—are not immune to the very violence they exist to adjudicate.