Man charged to court for stabbing his friend to death over iPhone in Adamawa

A 27-year old man, Festus Stephen, was charged to court on Thursday, for allegedly killing his friend, Abbas Mohammed Gudus, after a dispute over an iPhone in Adamawa State.

Stephen, a staff member of Adamawa State Ministry of Health, attached to Health Services Management Board in Mubi, is currently standing trial before Justice Helen Hammajoda of High Court 2, Yola, for stabbing Gudus to death. 

He was charged to court on two counts, bordering on robbery, contrary to and punishable under section 1(2) (b) of the robbery and firearms (Special Provision) Act cap R11 laws of the Federation, 2004.

In his confessional statement, Stephen said he first met Gudus in 2011, and since then, they became friends.

The suspect said on October 27, 2018, at about 7:30 pm in Mubi, he and the deceased decided that he (the deceased) should go and buy food, while he (Stephen) should go and purchase codeine syrup for consumption.

The suspect further explained that he bought the victim’s iPhone at the cost of N40,000, and paid the money, but the deceased refused to give it to him.

According to him, some minutes after taking their codeine syrup, the deceased brought out the phone from his pocket to make a call. While he was making the call, the suspect brought out a knife and stabbed him on his neck. 

Stephen said he picked the phone, dipped his hands in the pocket of the deceased, took a cigarette packet, boarded a tricycle, and fled from the scene, leaving the Gudus to bleed to death.

The case was reported to the relevant security agency and investigation eventually led to the arrest of the murder suspect.

The case was adjourned to the 24th of February, 2021.