Court remands man for ‘poisoning woman to death’ in Kebbi

The police command in Kebbi has arraigned one Bello Musa for allegedly poisoning Shamsiyya Usman, a 31-year-old woman, to death.

Forty-year-old Musa was arraigned in a magistrate’s court on three counts of culpable homicide, false information, and fraudulent activities.

Musa pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Muntari Mati, the police prosecutor, said the defendant committed the offence on June 26 at the Shagalinku Hotel in Birnin Kebbi, the capital city of Kebbi.

“Musa lodged in room 412, Shagalinku Hotel, Tudun Wada, Birnin Kebbi, with Usman, 31, now deceased, of Go-Slow area Birnin Kebbi,” the police prosecutor told the court.

“At about 10.00 am, Bello Musa poisoned her drinks of Maltina, 5 Alive, and Swan Water, and after drinking them, she died on the spot.

“Musa also abandoned her corpse and escaped to an unknown destination. He was arrested on July 2, at the Sweet Hotel, Dangoro area, Marjani Street, Katsina State, where he gave his name to the receptionist as Zubairu Sani from Minna, Niger, to avoid arrest.

“During a search on him, Musa was found in possession of 18 different ATM cards of different banks, which he confessed to have used to defraud bank customers.”

The prosecutor applied for an adjournment to enable the police to complete investigations into the case.

Usman Umar-Bunza, the chief magistrate, adjourned the case to July 25.

The judge ordered that the suspect be remanded in custody pending his next appearance.