Man arraigned for stabbing neighbour to death

• Another in court for defiling eight years old daughter
An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has ordered that a 27-year-old man, Emeka Okechukwu, be remanded in prison for allegedly stabbing his neighbour, Kazeem Balogun, to death.

The chief magistrate, Mr. Alex Komolafe, gave the order yesterday when the accused was brought before him for allegedly stabbing his neighbour with a sharp stone. The defendant is facing a charge of manslaughter.

When the case was mentioned, the plea of the defendant was not taken as the court said it lacked the jurisdiction to prosecute murder cases. The prosecutor, Insp. Cousin Adams, had earlier told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 18, at 10:00a.m., at No. 6, Tony Chenco Close, Ejigbo.

He alleged that the accused stabbed the deceased with a sharp stone on his body, which led to his death. The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which stipulates death penalty for an offender.

The magistrate ordered that the case file be transferred to the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) for advice. He also ordered the remand of the accused at the Ikoyi Prisons pending the receipt of legal advice from the DPPs office and adjourned the case until August 12.

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man, Mr. Godwin Anukwa, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly assaulting his daughter, aged eight (names withheld) by inserting his finger into her private part. The defendant was arraigned on a lone count of child defilement before Chief Magistrate Mrs. Yewande Aje-Afunwa.

Police Prosecutor, ASP Peter Nwangwu, told the court that the defendant committed the offence in March at Airport Estate, Isheri, Lagos. The defendant, according to him, was arrested by the police after the case was reported. He pleaded not guilty.

Chief Magistrate Aje-Afunwa, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in the like sum and adjourned the matter until July 17.