No fewer than three persons were allegedly attacked by yet-to-be-identified individuals in Degri, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The victims, who were attacked on Saturday include a judge of the Upper Area Court III, Ayuba Buba-Dalas, Barr. Usman Yahya, and a court staff.
PUNCH gathered that the court usually conducts a physical assessment of issues relating to land disputes to ascertain the cause of conflict.
However, Buba-Dalas embarked on the tour to take the land measurement to ascertain the rights of the parties before it.
An eyewitness who narrated the ordeal of the trio said they were attacked by villagers upon sighting the team.
A comment accompanying the photographed bloodied face of the judge in a WhatsApp group reads: “Above is allegedly an upper Area Court judge mercilessly beaten by villagers in Gombe State where he went to visit the locus in quo. If correct, Judges may be well advised to always go along with adequate security whenever going to visit the locus in quo no matter the proximity, and indeed, anywhere else. Also, legal practitioners who are fond of attending the scene of levying execution may be accordingly advised. It is a season of anomie.”
Locus in quo is a Latin phrase which means the place where a legal cause of action arose.
According to the source who begged for anonymity, “They went to a locus in Degri, Balanga LGA to ascertain the true owner of the land. It was then people in the village attacked them with weapons.”
The Nigerian Bar Association, Gombe State branch, through its Publicity Secretary, Bashir Abdullahi confirmed the incident in a post sighted by Sunday PUNCH.
“Good morning distinguished learned silks, seniors and colleagues. This is to notify the esteemed members of the Jewel Bar that there will be a visit to His Honour, Ayuba Buba-Dalas (UAC III JUDGE), and Usman Yahya Esq., over a sad incident that happened to them yesterday while on a visit to locus at Degri,” Abdullahi’s statement partly read.
