The Lagos State Police Command has brought a boy, Arinze Opiomachie, before a Tinubu Magustrates’ Court for allegedly beating up his 60-year-old neighbour, Mrs. Tina Emebele.
He was arraigned on one count of assault before the court’s Chief Magistrate, Mr. A. Adefulire.
It was learnt that the grandmother had wanted to make peace between 20-year-old Opiomachi and her two grandchildren when he pummelled her until blood started gushing out of her face.
The incident happened on December 30, 2015, on Baale Street, in the Ajah area of Lagos, where Opiomachi and the woman reside.
Tthe suspect had complained to Emebele’s daughter, Patricia, that the family’s dog tethered in the compound might attack him.
He was said to have told 40-year-old Patricia to move the dog or he would kill it.
An altercation reportedly ensued afterwards, prompting Patricia’s children to intervene and caution the suspect to stop abusing their mother.
Our correspondent learnt that as Opiomachi grabbed a stick to beat the children, the grandmother rushed out from her room to settle the issue.
Opiomachi, however, allegedly descended on the sexagenarian while Patricia and her children fled.
Patricia said, “He (Opiomachi) threatened to kill my dog if it barked at him. I said dogs bark when they are chained and begged him that it was to monitor my property outside because I was sanitising my apartment. He started abusing me, calling me a prostitute. My children came out and cautioned him. He beat them. He hit my mother in the face when she came out to ask what was wrong.”
The victim was said to have been taken to a hospital while the matter was reported at the Langbasa Police Station, leading to Opiomachi’s arrest.
“That day, I was fetching water to wash my car outside and her (Patricia’s) dog was chained around where I would pass. I was afraid it might bite me. I begged her to move the dog but she refused. I vowed to beat it if it attacked me. She abused me and my parent,” Opiomachi told the police.
The police charged him with assault which he pleaded not guilty to.
The charge read, “That you, Arinze Opiomachie, 20, on December 30, 2015, at about 11pm on Baale Street, Badore, Eti-Osa, Ajah, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully hit one Tina Emebele with a blow on her right cheek, causing her injury.”
A police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale, told the court that the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, Nigeria, 2011.
Following the defence counsel’s application for the defendant’s bail in liberal terms, the magistrate, Adefulire, admitted him to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties.
Adefulire urged the sureties to also present evidence of tax payments and affidavits of means of their livelihood to the court for verifications.
The case was adjourned till February 29, 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment