A Dambai Circuit Court has sentenced a 42-year-old farmer, Anas Ibrahim, to 22 years in prison for inflicting cutlass wounds on his pregnant wife in Banda, within the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Oti Region.

The court, presided over by Osman Abdul-Hakeem, convicted the accused based on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

He received sentences of five, seven, and ten years each for assault, inflicting multiple cutlass wounds, and attempted murder, respectively, with the sentences to run consecutively.

Detective Chief Inspector S. K. Gavor, the prosecutor, informed the court that Anas inflicted multiple cutlass wounds on his pregnant wife on a farm in Banda on May 28, 2024, without provocation.

He stated that investigations indicated the suspect invaded his wife’s house around 0100 hours without her notice, knocked on the door but did not gain entry.

The following morning, the suspect ambushed his wife and severely butchered her. She was taken to the Banda Health Centre and later referred to the Kpandai Polyclinic for further medical treatment.

Chief Inspector Gavor noted that the victim had since been discharged from the hospital.

In response to the charges, Anas stated he did not intend to butcher his wife on the farm. However, he claimed she struck his head with a stick, causing blood to ooze out, which infuriated him and led to the attack.