Gombe State Government to Prosecute Man for Amputating Nephew’s Hands Over Alleged Phone Theft

The Gombe State Government announced on Monday that it has filed charges against a man who amputated his 12-year-old nephew Adamu’s hands, accusing him of stealing a phone. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Gombe State Ministry of Justice, Abubakar Jungudo, confirmed in a phone interview with Punch Metro that the uncle will face prosecution.

“We are going to prosecute the defendant. We are awaiting the assignment of the case by the Chief Judge of Gombe State. One of the magistrates in Kashere drew my attention to the case, having seen the seriousness of the injury, and it was referred to the Gombe State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,” Jungudo said.

On Children's Day, the Vice Chairperson of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Gombe branch, Mwalin Abdu, condemned the incident in a statement. Abdu, who also chairs the NBA’s Human Rights Committee, criticized the rising child abuse cases and urged the authorities to enforce the Child Protection Law to prevent such abuses.

In her statement titled ‘Protecting our future: Urgent action needed on child protection in Gombe State,’ Abdu called for collective efforts to safeguard minors and combat abusive acts against children.