An ordinary court sitting over a land dispute in Adamawa State reportedly took a terrifying turn when an 87-year-old defendant allegedly pulled out a cutlass and attacked the presiding judge.
The defendant, identified as Dahiru Garba of Korawa village, Fufore Local Government Area, has since been arrested, arraigned and remanded by a Yola Chief Magistrate’s Court.
But behind the shocking allegation is a dispute over farmland, a tense courtroom exchange and a judge now recovering from injuries to his hand.
The day the courtroom erupted
The incident happened on August 31, 2026, at the Mayo-Ine Area Court in Fufore while Judge Dauda Hamman was presiding over a case involving Garba and another man, Ismail Yusuf.
According to the Adamawa State Police Command, Garba allegedly attacked the judge with a cutlass and repeatedly struck his hand, inflicting what police described as grievous injuries.
Police said Garba was immediately arrested after the incident.
The case was subsequently transferred from the Fufore Divisional Police Headquarters to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yola on September 4, where investigators continued the case before prosecution.
What happened before the attack?
A subsequent account attributed to Judge Hamman provides a more detailed picture of what allegedly happened inside the courtroom.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Hamman said the case concerned a land dispute between Garba and Yusuf.
According to the judge’s account, both men had been allocated farmland by the traditional ruler, Marafa Maye, but the matter eventually reached court after Garba allegedly encroached on Yusuf’s portion.
Garba reportedly pleaded not guilty when proceedings began.
The judge said tension increased during the testimony and cross-examination of a prosecution witness. Hamman reportedly directed the court registrar to translate and repeat portions of the evidence so that Garba could properly follow the proceedings.
It was at this point, according to Hamman’s account, that the situation allegedly deteriorated.
The judge said Garba became angry and verbally abused him. He allegedly threatened to do something worse when the registrar attempted to restore order.
Hamman said he then directed court security personnel to remove Garba from the courtroom.
That, according to the judge, was when the situation allegedly became violent.
The hidden weapon
Hamman alleged that as security personnel attempted to escort Garba out, the elderly defendant broke free, produced a short machete that he had concealed, and moved towards the judge’s bench.
The judge said he raised his arms to protect his head.
Instead, he sustained serious cuts to his right hand before people around the courtroom intervened and subdued the attacker.
Hamman was subsequently taken for medical treatment.
The account is significant because it provides details beyond the initial police announcement, although the circumstances described by the judge remain his account of the incident and should be distinguished from facts ultimately established by a court.
From courtroom to correctional centre
Following the police investigation, Garba was brought before Chief Magistrate Court I in Yola on September 7.
He faced a one-count charge of causing grievous hurt, contrary to Section 219 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State, 2018.
The charge was read and interpreted to him.
Garba pleaded guilty, according to reports.
He reportedly expressed regret and attributed his action to the devil.
The Chief Magistrate, Ismail Bello Shelleng, ordered that Garba be remanded at the Yola Correctional Facility pending further proceedings. Reports say the matter was adjourned until September 17, 2026.
Attempted murder or grievous hurt?
There is an important distinction here.
Early reports described the police case as an alleged attempt to murder the judge, while the charge presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court was reported as causing grievous hurt under Section 219 of the Adamawa State Penal Code.
That distinction matters.
The police allegation is not the same thing as a judicial finding that Garba intended to kill the judge.
Likewise, Garba’s guilty plea to the reported charge is part of the court proceedings, but the case remains subject to the judicial process.
A courtroom security question
The extraordinary circumstances of the case also raise an obvious security question: How did an 87-year-old defendant allegedly get close enough to a sitting judge with a concealed cutlass?
That question should not automatically be converted into an allegation of negligence against court security personnel. There is no court finding establishing such negligence.
But the reported sequence of events—an agitated defendant being ordered out, allegedly breaking away from security personnel and producing a weapon—will inevitably attract attention as the case progresses.
For the judiciary, the incident is a reminder of the risks that can accompany emotionally charged disputes, particularly land and property cases where the parties may have deeply entrenched interests.
For Garba, however, the next chapter will be decided not by the drama of the August 31 incident, but by evidence presented before the court.
At 87, he now finds himself in a correctional facility awaiting the next stage of proceedings.
And a case that began as a dispute over farmland has become one of the strangest courtroom incidents reported in Nigeria this month.
Crime Files Fact Check
Established: An incident occurred at Mayo-Ine Area Court, Fufore, on August 31, 2026, involving Judge Dauda Hamman and defendant Dahiru Garba.
Police allegation: Garba attacked the judge with a cutlass and caused grievous injuries to his hand.
Judge’s account: The confrontation followed tension during proceedings over a land dispute, and he alleged that Garba broke away from security personnel and produced a concealed machete.
Court proceeding: Garba was arraigned in Yola on a charge of causing grievous hurt and reportedly pleaded guilty.
Current legal status: He was remanded pending further proceedings; the reported next hearing date is September 17, 2026.
Not established: Any final judicial finding on Garba’s motive, whether he intended to kill the judge, or whether any security personnel were negligent.
