Festus Stephen, a 27-year old civil servant, has been charged to court.

The man was dragged to court for allegedly killing his friend, Abbas Mohammed Gudus, in Adamawa State.

Stephen, a staff member of Adamawa State Ministry of Health, attached to Health Services Management Board in Mubi, is currently standing trial before Justice Helen Hammajoda of High Court 2, Yola, for stabbing Gudus to death after a dispute over an iPhone.

He was charged to court on two counts, bordering on robbery, contrary to and punishable under section 1(2) (b) of the robbery and firearms (Special Provision) Act cap R11 laws of the Federation, 2004.

In his confessional statement, Stephen said he first met Gudus in 2011, and since then, they became friends.

He said on October 27, 2018, at about 7:30 pm in Mubi, himself and the deceased decided that he (the deceased) should go and buy food, while he (Stephen) should go and purchase codeine syrup for consumption.

The 27-year-old further explained that he bought the victim’s iPhone at the cost of N40,000, and paid the money, but the deceased refused to give it to him.

According to him, some minutes after taking their codeine syrup, his friend removed the phone from his pocket to make a call, and then removed a knife and stabbed him on his neck as a result of which he fell lifeless.

He said he picked the phone, dipped his hands in the pocket of the deceased, took a cigarette packet, boarded a tricycle, and fled from the scene of the incident.

The case, which came up on Friday for hearing, was adjourned to the 24th of February, 2021