Truck driver and one other remanded for beating traffic official to coma in Abuja

A Grade I Area Court in Karu in Abuja has ordered that two men, Mansir Seidu and Abdulazeez Sheu, who pleaded guilty to beating up a traffic official to a state of coma, be remanded in custody pending their sentencing.

The FCT police had charged the duo with joint act, criminal Intimidation, criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his lawful duty, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, mischief and theft.

The Prosecution Counsel, Olanrewaju Osho, had told the court that on September 20, Seidu was stopped while driving a truck with registration number KEF 972 SE on the Karu bridge to check if his vehicle was roadworthy. Osho said Seidu drove the complainant, Hussain Adema, attached to the directorate of road traffic services, towards the Abacha barracks in Abuja and beat him to a state of coma.

The prosecutor told the court that the defendants also stabbed the traffic official before he was rescued and taken to the hospital where he is receiving medical treatment. The police said that the defendants also tore the complaints uniform worth N27, 500 and stole his cell phone worth N68, 500. The offense, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 79, 397b, 267, 248, 327, and 289 of the penal code.

When the charges were read to them, the defendants pleaded guilty to the offense.

The judge ordered that they be remanded in custody and adjourned the case till Friday, October 7 for sentencing.