Father In Court Over Killing Of 6-day-old Son - Crime -

A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri is to continue hearing tomorrow in the case of culpable homicide against a father accused of killing his six-day-old son. Daily Trust gathered that Auwal Usman, who is standing trial before High Court 11, Maiduguri, presided over by Justice Wakkil Gana,was accused of injecting his six-day-old son with a poisonous substance. The late child was said to have been delivered out of wedlock by his long-time girlfriend, one Habiba Mohammed. Before closing its case on Friday, prosecution counsel, B.R. Balami, led Habiba in evidence before the court. She said she was not married to Usman, but bore him a son. She told the court on oath that Usman visited her six days after delivery under the pretext of arranging naming ceremony for the deceased child. Habiba said when she left the accused to check up on something in her room, the child was hale and healthy. She added that when she returned a few minutes later, she found the child lying on the floor unconscious while the father was nowhere to be found. She said she then reported the matter to police in the area. Professor Haruna A. Ngadda, a lecturer at the University of Maiduguri and a medical consultant, told the court that he was assisted by Dr. Abba Kabir, in carrying out autopsy on the deceased. He said based on investigation, the baby died of Asypxia, occasioned by cerebral haemorrhage (bleeding). He said they also found blush discoloration of lips, finger and nails with fractured neck bone.