A Chinese national, Mr Frank Geng-Quangrong, 47, again told the Kano High Court on Thursday that he never intended to kill his Nigerian girlfriend, Ummukulsum Sani, popularly known as Ummita.
The defendant, who lives at Railway Quarters in Kano, is charged with culpable homicide.
Frank, led in evidence by defense counsel, Mr. Muhammad Dan’azumi, tendered a black mobile phone, a Redmi, WhatsApp messages, pictures, and videos of the deceased, as well as a certificate of compliance dated March 8.
“The exhibits include the defendant’s phone and WhatsApp computer-generated chats between Frank and Ummukulsum, between Sept. 13 and Sept. 16, 2022.
“Other exhibits include pictures, the receipt of the N5 million in gold jewelry he bought for Ummukulsum, and a 4GB black flash drive containing videos of the deceased in his house,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the video played in court showed the deceased playing with his pet dog, Charlie, in Frank’s house in Railway Quarters, Kano.
Dan’azumi played the second video clip to the court, showing the deceased on the site of her house in Abuja as well as a picture of her sitting on seven bags of clothes Frank bought for their marriage.
While cross-examining the defendant, the prosecution’s counsel, Kano Attorney General Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, asked the defendant where he was and who sent him the video clip of the deceased.
“Ummukulsum seemed very happy and alive in the video; she is dead now. Who killed her?
“You told the court in your testimony that on that fateful day you called the deceased several times on the phone, but she refused to pick up.”
“Why did you go to her house uninvited?”
Frank said, “She sent me the video herself.”
“I did not intend to kill Ummukulsum, and I don’t want to be killed.
“She injured me on my genitals, and I cannot show the court because it is against our Chinese culture and I am a Muslim.
“On that fateful day, she called me on a WhatsApp call and told me to bring her pet dog, Charlie.”
“On reaching her house, after she refused to pick up my call, I sent her a text message. Later, her mother, Fatima Zubairu (Pw1), opened the gate, and I got in to pick up Charlie.
“I did not talk to the deceased mother because she does not understand English and I don’t understand Hausa,” Frank said.
Abdullahi-Lawan alleged that on Sept. 16, 2022, the defendant stabbed the deceased with a knife in her house at Janbulo Quarters, Kano.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He said that the offense contravenes the provisions of Section 221(b) of the Penal Code.
Justice Sanusi Ado-Ma’aji admitted the exhibits and adjourned the matter until March 29 and 30 for the continuation of defense and cross-examination.
(NAN)
