Judge orders man's leg cut off
January 7, 2003
By Goddy Ikeh
Lagos: A Muslim court in northern Nigeria has ordered that a 45-year-old man's leg be amputated as punishment for doing the same to his wife.
The Upper Sharia in the town of Bauchi made the
order against Adamu Hussaini Maidoya, who cut off the right leg of his wife, Amina. He accused her of infidelity, after "over exposing" herself to a doctor to get an injection.
Judge Alhaji Abdu Yerima ordered that the convict's right leg be amputated at the knee and that the person or doctor who executes the sentence should not administer anaesthetic or painkillers.
The judge quoted relevant sections of the Holy Quran and the Hadith to support his judgment and gave the convict 30 days to file an appeal.
"He must experience similar pain his wife went through when he cut off her right leg from the knee,'' the judge ruled.
Shortly before sentencing Amina Hussaini, who just been discharged from the Bauchi specialist hospital, told the court how on August 21 2002 her husband accused her of infidelity, overpowered her and cut her right leg off at the knee with a sharp machete.
Amina, who had been married to the accused for about 20 years and has eight children, including four-month-old twins, prayed for justice.
Maidoya, who wept profusely during the trial, pleaded guilty but pleaded for forgiveness, saying his act was destined by God. Maidoya, a trader, also told newsmen he was neither insane nor under the influence of alcohol when he cut off his wife's leg. - Independent Foreign Service
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