For refusing to abort our child, my boyfriend battered me and killed my sister – Woman tells court

A 27-year-old woman, Justina D., on Friday told a Jos High Court that her boyfriend, Stephen L., got her pregnant and when confronted, brutalised her and killed her sister.

Justina, a resident of Foron, Barkin-Ladi Local Government of Plateau, who stood as a witness, testified against the accused, Stephen, of Tudun Wada, Jos, who is being tried for murder, assault and sexual abuse.

The accused, who has denied the allegations, is also facing a charge of attempted murder.

The accused was alleged to have attacked the two sisters on July 27, 2016 at his home, in Sabon Gari, Tudun Wada, Jos, after they went to confront him over Justina’s pregnancy.

Justina, who is heavily pregnant, told the court, in her testimony, that the accused person, with whom she had been in a relationship since 2007, got her pregnant last year.

“I met Stephen on December 2 2007, while I was still in secondary school. I later left to Abuja, but came back to Jos in May 2016. We met on my return and he invited me to his place sometime in June 2016, where he had sex with me.

I later realised I was pregnant and called his attention to it; he told me he was not ready to be a father and suggested an abortion which I promptly rejected.

I told him I would rather give birth to the baby and give to my parents than have an abortion.

On July 25, I told my sister, late Simi D., about the pregnancy and Luka’s idea of an abortion.

She tried to reach him on phone without success and we decided to go to see him in his house.

On July 27, we took a cab to his house, when I sighted him, we alighted and followed him to the house.

He didn’t deny the pregnancy, but said that he was not ready to be a father, and that his parents had already chased him out of the house.

While we were discussing, my sister stepped out to receive a phone but before she returned, he started hitting me on my head.

When I started screaming, my sister tried to enter, but he locked the door. She forced the door open and he descended on her with a machete and killed her.

He again returned to me and kept hitting me; I only regained consciousness at the Hwolshe Medical Centre, Jos, and received the news that my sister had died,” she told the court.

She denied engaging in a fight with her sister over Stephen as alleged by the defense counsel, and described that allegation as a “lie”.

Another witness, Rifkatu Y., who is a sister to the deceased, denied the possibility of a fight between the deceased and Justina,

She said that she did not know Stephen until he called her to meet him at the hospital over her sister’s condition.

After taking the witnesses, the prosecutor, Muleng Alex, prayed the court to adjourn the matter to another date, citing the long hours already spent on taking witnesses, a move the defense counsel did not object.

The judge, Justice Nafisa Musa, adjourned the matter to February 28, for continuation of hearing.