Two Nigerian Brothers Confess to the Brutal Murder of Their 85-Year-Old Father

In a chilling courtroom revelation, two brothers, Ibrahim Yusuf, 62, and Samaila Yusuf, 48, have admitted to the heinous crime of murdering their 85-year-old father, Yusuf Kwada. The shocking incident, rooted in accusations of witchcraft, has left the community of Zah village, located in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, reeling.

On Wednesday, the Chief Magistrate Court in Yola, under the jurisdiction of Bilkisu Tijjaji, remanded the brothers in prison custody following their voluntary confession. The brothers disclosed that they lured their elderly father into the bush on June 9, 2024, where they brutally struck him on the head with a stick, leaving his lifeless body to decay.

The grim details emerged from the Police First Information Report (FIR), which recounts how the brothers premeditatedly led their father to his gruesome end. The matter was brought to light when Amina Ibrahim, the deceased’s daughter, reported the crime to the police on July 1, 2024. According to ASP Ezra Bulus, the prosecution counsel, Amina stated that her brothers conspired to kill their father and abandon his body.

ASP Bulus emphasized the severity of the crime, noting that it violated Sections 160 and 191 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa 2018. He further requested the court to adjourn the case to allow the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) to provide legal advice.

When questioned by Chief Magistrate Tijjaji, the unrepresented defendants confirmed their guilt. Ibrahim Yusuf, the elder of the two, confessed, “Truly, we killed our father. We led him into the bush, and while there, we hit his head with a big stick and he died.”

The brothers claimed their father’s alleged witchcraft had caused the deaths of six of his grandchildren and other community members. “Everyone is speaking ill of our family; they call him a witch, and we can’t stand the shame and hurt he has brought upon us,” Ibrahim added.

Following these confessions, the chief magistrate ordered the brothers’ remand and scheduled the next court session for July 30, pending the DPP’s advice. This case, steeped in tragedy and cultural tension, underscores the dire consequences of superstition and familial strife.