Yola: Killer of 13 Year-old POS Operator to Die by Hanging, Lethal Weapon

The Adamawa State High Court, sitting in Yola, has sentenced 21-year-old Barnabas Peter, popularly called Bary to death by hanging or lethal injection after admitting to killing one Jemimah Reuben — a 13-year-old girl POS operator in Yola.

Reuben was convicted on Thursday, April 20 for homicide and armed robbery by Justice Ishaku Yakubu Haliru based on 17 exhibits tendered in court, which includes extra judicial confessional statements made available in evidence, as well as the testimonies of 8 witnesses assembled by the prosecution.

Justice Ishaku sentenced Reuben, the 1st defendant in the case, but discharged and acquitted the 2nd defendant, Augustine Anthony, 23, who is a friend to the convict.

The duo, both indigenes of Badarisa in Girei Local Government Area of the state were also accused of robbing the victim of the sum N37,000.

During the trial, convict and co-defendant were said to have initially conspired to rob a female Point of Service (POS) operator known as Zippora Zaro of Badirisa, Jemimah’s mother, on the 10th October, 2020, by drugging her food to make her fall asleep.

On that faithful day, Rueben was said to have gone to Zaro’s shop, where he met Jemimah (daughter of Zaro), who informed him that her mother had gone home due to a stomachache and had asked her to stay in the shop.

The convict who knew the deceased very well, gave her a drugged chocolate and the girl collected and tasted it, but gave it back to him without falling asleep.

When he noticed that his plan of making the girl fall asleep had failed, he returned to Anthony’s residence and narrated what transpired before devising another method of robbing late Jemimah.

It was gathered that Rueben, dressed in a different cloth and wearing a facecap, returned to the shop for the second time where he gave the girl an ATM card to withdraw the sum of N2,000 but it was discovered that there was no money in the account.

According to the prosecution, the suspect knew that he had no money in the account but insisted the deceased withdrew the sum of N1,000 for him, unknown to her that it was a ploy to get her killed.

While the 13-year-old was trying to insert an ATM card in the machine, Barry grabbed her by the neck and while dragging her, the girl removed his veil and recognised him.

Seeing that he had been identified, the convict picked up a coca cola bottle and violently hit her in the face, getting the bottle broken. He was also said to have used the fragments to stab her on her neck and she fell down.

He also reportedly picked a stick and hit her thrice before leaving her in the pool of her own blood.

Afterward, he carried a handbag in the shop and a POS machine and fled the scene to an uncompleted building.

It was also gathered that Rueben’s friend, Augustine, who accompanied him, stood a distance away from the shop in order to signal him about anyone approaching.

Barry then called Augustine and informed him that he had succeeded in robbing Jemimah after killing her, and that he should meet him with his clothes in order to change from the blood smeared ones he was wearing.

After changing, he reportedly moved to Unguwan Fulani in Vunoklang before later going to the Jimeta Ultra Modern Market where he bought clothes and a pair of shoes at the sum of N6,500.

The convict was also said to have paid the sum of N11, 000, transport fare to escape to Lagos State the following morning.

That same day, Rueben went to Song town in Song LGA, where he lodged in a hotel and returned back to Yola, the following day, ready to escape to Lagos..

On arriving at Yola, he reportedly met Anthony and gave him the sum of N7, 000 as his own share out of N37, 000 before they bidded each other farewell.

Unfortunately for him, he made the mistake of calling his brother, Mercel Peter, to bring some of his clothes, telling him that he wanted to escape to Lagos. He informed him that he was responsible for the death of Jemimah.

Upon hearing this, Mercel immediately informed their father who also invited police officers who apprehended Rueben as well as Anthony.

During the court sitting on Thursday, the judge declared that the prosecution had proved its case against the 1st defendant beyond reasonable doubt, and consequently convicted Barry as charged.

For Anthony, Justice Haliru held that the prosecution failed to link him with the act and discharged and acquitted him accordingly.