A 50-year-old man has pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault to commit murder. Defendant Daniel Tokpah, who on April 7, 2024 chopped a young lady for passing his yard in the suburb of Ganta, pleaded guilty to the crimes at the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in Sanniquellie.
At the opening of the hearing at the court on Monday, November 19, 2024, defendant Daniel Topkah pleaded guilty to all the charges levied against and also pleaded for. mercy and forgiveness.
Topkah admitted to attacking the young lady, resulting in severe injuries. The incident, which transpired due to a long-standing dispute, caused uproar in the community, leading to an attempt to set the police station ablaze.
The guilty plea ensued after the indictments against him were read, and Judge Pepe Sauh officially began the legal proceedings. The court is currently determining the appropriate jail term, with the victim's family and onlookers anticipating severe punishment for the defendant's actions.
On the fateful day of April 7, 2024, Tokpah, an employee of Nimba University, chopped the lady's left hand with a sharp cutlass in Ganta, following what some believe was a long standing dispute between the two.
The victim, Mercy David, sustained serious harm, including the loss of her left hand, in the attack. The community was deeply disturbed by the incident, prompting a strong reaction from the residents.
Allegedly, there had been a history of conflict between Topkah and David, with a disagreement turning violent on the tragic day.
An eyewitness told the Daily Observer at the time that the perpetrator and the lady got into a heated argument on Saturday, April 6, and he warned her not to pass through his yard anymore.
The violence prompted an outburst from the community, with angry crowds venting their frustration at the police station.
"Mercy was passing through the yard to access the nearby market in the Gbloryee Community.
While on her way, the man told her not to pass through his yard, something people believed she may have overlooked.
However, while making her way through the compound to the nearby market, he ran into his house for his cutlass and ran after her and cut off her hand after she fell, with her on the trunk of a mango tree, an eyewitness narrated.
The victim, Mercy David, lived in a house that shared a common boundary with Tokpah's compound, but both of them are said to have always been at loggerheads a long time before the incident.
Many insinuate that the man may have been in love with the lady, but the lady would not agree to his proposals.
Accordingly, before the lady could realize the danger, Tokpah was already near her. He knocked to the ground, began chopping on the right side of her body, and then subsequently chopped her left palm off instantly.
The situation brought Ganta to a standstill, when an angry mob went on the rampage, besieging the main police station and the main street, throwing petrol bombs at the station, with the intent to set it ablaze.
Fortunately, the police were quick to extinguish the fire with water. Due to the tension, Tokpah was relocated to Sanniquellie Police Headquarter for interrogation, where he was charged with 'attempted murder and aggravated assault to commit murder' and sent to court.
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Tokpah is said to have worked in the Account Department of Nimba University. He also once worked with the Norwegian Refugee Committee, where he accumulated huge money to build himself a compound.
The aftermath of the assault on David saw the community in upheaval, exemplified by the attempt to set the police station on fire. Topkah faced charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault to commit murder.
The incident further resulted in the destruction of Topkah's property by an angry mob, incensed by his actions towards David, a mother of three. David, who faced dismemberment and other injuries, continues to cope with the traumatic aftermath of the assault.
