Tailor chops off man’s hand with cutlass

A tailor, Samson Onome, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court for allegedly chopping off a man’s right hand with cutlass during a fight.

Onome, 34, of Celestial Area, Ilasan Housing Estate in Eti-Osa, Lagos, is standing trial before Magistrate B. A. Shonuga on a two-count charge of attempted murder and infliction of grievous bodily harm contrary to Sections 228(2) and 243 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The prosecution alleged that, at about 8pm on January 11, Onome tried to kill Wale Badejo, alias “Carry Go” by using a cutlass to cut off his right wrist and inflicting injuries on his head and left arm.

A police source told The Nation that the incident occurred inside Onome’s room. He said a neighbour, who had been playing a game of lotto in a shop nearby, told Onome that “Carry Go”, was destroying things in the shop.

The source said: “Onome accompanied the neighbour to the place where they met Carry Go threatening everyone. He said Carry Go punched him and pushed him to the ground, trying to lure him into a fight. He then ran into his room and locked himself in but Carry Go came after him with broken bottles.

“According to him, Carry Go kicked down his door and charged at him with the bottles. Onome said he picked up a cutlass and cut off Carry Go’s right hand from the wrist when he tried to stab him with the bottles. He said boys in the area collected the cutlass from him and beat him up.

“The victim was rushed to General Hospital, Marina for treatment but his severed hand could not be attached.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty. His counsel, Stephen Opowara applied that he be granted bail.

Prosecuting police Corporal Friday Mameh asked that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.

He said: “The charge against the defendant is attempted murder where the defendant macheted the victim all over the body and completely cut off his hand with intent to kill him. The victim is lying critically ill in hospital in an unpredictable condition. The punishment on conviction is life imprisonment.”

Ruling, Magistrate Shonuga upheld the prosecutor’s argument and remanded Onome in prison.

He said: “In view of the degree of injury inflicted on the victim who is lying critically ill in the hospital, the defendant is hereby remanded in prison custody and the prosecution is ordered to forward the duplicate case file to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.”