A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, on Friday, 4 July, 2025, remanded a renowned philanthropist, Dr. Emmanuel Musa, and 3 others in prison custody over alleged murder of PDP Stalwart Thomas Godwin alias Zamfara, who is also an aide to Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Chief Magistrate Uwani Danladi Mohammed who gave the order, also remanded the defendants in prison custody until the adjourned date, July 7, 2025 and remanded them in prison custody pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Adamawa State Ministry of Justice.
Defendants standing trial in the case include Godwin Chukukuyada, Danlami Nuhu, Ibrahim Bakari (popularly known as Mai Cross), and Dr. Emmanuel N. Musa.
A fifth suspect, Stephen Peter, is still at large. They were charged with criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide offences punishable under sections 60 and 191 of the Adamawa State Penal Code 2018, as amended.
The FIR presented in the court stated that the defendants committed the act on April 15, 2025, along the way from Fadama Rake to his home town, Kala’a in Hong local government area.
The prosecutor told the court that the victim was abandoned unconscious on the road and was taken to the hospital, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead.
The prosecution is accusing Dr Emmanuel N. Musa of masterminding and financing the defendants to commit the said crime.
At the arraignment, a lawyer from the Office of the Prosecution, Ezekiel Gidauna Esq., prayed the court to substitute the earlier FIR filed May 19, 2025, with a new one filed on July 4, 2025.
Counsel to the defendant, G. C. Adikwu, who appeared along with M. I. El-Yakub, objected to the application.
The defense argued they could not answer an application for a document they had yet to receive.
In a ruling delivered in English, Chief Magistrate Uwani Danladi Mohammed, dismissed the submission of the defence counsel, ruling that the FIR should be replaced and read to the defendants in a language they understood.
After the interpretation of the charge in the First Information Report (FIR) in Hausa language, the accused persons, except Dr. Emmanuel N. Musa (who after second interpretation, finally said he understood the charges), replied that they understood.
Chief Magistrate Uwani, did not take plea of the defendants on whether or not they were guilty as charged by the prosecution.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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