Octogenarian turns on presiding judge in shocking Mayo-Ine ambush, severs his hand as terrified court descends into chaos
YOLA — What was meant to be a routine court sitting in Mayo-Ine, Fufore Local Government Area, erupted into horror on 31st August, 2026, when an 87-year-old litigant allegedly turned a cutlass on the very judge hearing his case — hacking off one of his hands in front of a stunned courtroom.
The Adamawa State Police Command, in a statement released by its Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, ANIPR, confirmed that Dahiru Garba, a resident of Korawa Village, has now been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Yola over the attack.
Garba was reportedly a party to a dispute with one Ismail Yusuf, being heard by the Presiding Judge of the Mayo-Ine Area Court, Hon. Dauda Hamman. Mid-proceeding, police say, the elderly defendant produced a cutlass and struck the judge — inflicting grievous injuries and severing his hand in a moment of sheer, unthinkable violence inside the very institution meant to guarantee his safety.
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 case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Fufore, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yola on 4th September for deeper investigation — and just four days later, on Monday, 8th September, 2026, Garba stood before Chief Magistrate Ismail Bello Shelleng at Chief Magistrate Court I, Yola, to answer for it.
He was charged with one count of causing grievous hurt, contrary to Section 219 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018. Prosecuting on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, ASP Zakka Musa laid out the charge before the court.
When the charge was read and interpreted to him, the frail 87-year-old offered no denial. He pleaded guilty on the spot, telling the court he was overtaken by the devil’s influence, and voicing deep remorse for the violence he had unleashed.
The magistrate ordered him remanded at the Yola Correctional Facility pending further hearing.
Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, fdc, has assured the public that the case will be diligently prosecuted to its full conclusion.
The attack has reignited urgent questions about security for judicial officers across Adamawa State — a chilling reminder that courtrooms, built as sanctuaries of law, are not immune to the very violence they exist to adjudicate.
SIGNED:
SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, ANIPR
Police Public Relations Officer
For: Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Police Command
8th September, 2026
