ABUJA – A prosecution witness, Usman Idoko, on Monday told an FCT High Court that the late journalist, Mohammed Matazu, was taken to three hospitals before he died from injuries.
Idoko said this while testifying at the trial of Amina Dauda, wife of Matazu, who alleged sprayed the deceased with petrol and set him ablaze in his residence in Gwarinpa, Abuja.
He said that the deceased, also a legislative aide to Sen. Mohammed Ibrahim (PDP-Kaduna), was taken to the hospitals by neighbours who were at the crime scene.
Idoko said that Matazu was also moved to the National Hospital Abuja, where he was referred to the ABU Teaching Hospital Zaria, Kaduna State.
“My lord, on Feb. 21, 2013, I received news that Matazu had passed on through a letter signed by Sen. Ibrahim.
“The senator also sent us the death certificate of the late Matazu,” he said.
After the death of the victim, Idoko said that the accused was arrested and kept at State Criminal Investigation Department
headquarters, Abuja, for further investigation.
“After the accused was arrested, I took her statement and read her rights,” he said.
After his testimony, the prosecution counsel, Mr Sunday Adewumi, prayed the court for an adjournment for other witnesses to appear in court.
Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf granted the request of the prosecutor and adjourned the matter until May 27 for continuation of testimony.
The prosecution alleged that the accused, who resides at Daki Biyu village in the FCT, deliberately sprinkled petrol on her husband and set him ablaze, thus leading to his death.
Dauda, who is being held in the Federal Prison at Suleja, was arraigned on a one-count charge of culpable homicide punishable with death.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.(NAN)
