Oct. 16, 2013
A 34-year-old man, Henry Okoro, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly killing his wife, Amaka, for her inability to have a child. The incident was said to have happened at Gbagada area of Lagos State.
It was learnt that the couple had been married for some years without having a child and that the defendant was under pressure to send the deceased away so he could remarry.
A minor disagreement around 5am on August 27, 2013, was said to have degenerated into a fight; the deceased reportedly suffered injuries to her neck and fingers after she had been allegedly hit with some objects.
Four days after she was said to have reported the matter at the police station, Amaka gave up the ghost.
Okoro was said to have been arrested on September 4, 2013. The police said although the suspect did not make any confessional statement and no weapon was found on him during his arrest, there was fingerprint evidence to connect him with the crime.
The police however arraigned him on Tuesday before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court on a single count of murder.
The charge read, “That you, Henry Okoro, on the 27th day of August, 2013 at about 5am at 9, Atunrase Estate, Gbagada, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one Amaka Okoro, female, aged 33 years, by inflicting injuries on her finger and neck and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The defendant’s plea was not taken.
The prosecutor, Inspector Asu Feddy, asked the court to remand the defendant in custody to enable the police to duplicate the case file for transfer to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
He cited Section 264(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice, Lagos State to support the remand application. The police also added in its remand form, that there was the need for more investigation.
The magistrate, Mr. E.O Ogunkanmi, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi Prison pending the DPP’s advice.
The matter was adjourned till November 7.