A 16-year-old boy, Adeola Okanlawon, on Tuesday told an Igbosere High Court in Lagos how his father was killed with a machete after complaining about fumes from a neighbour’s generator.
In his testimony, Adeola said the neighbour, Ibrahim Tijani, killed his father with a cutlass after a disagreement over generator fumes.
He said his late father had complained about the fumes that were coming out of the defendant’s generator into his room.
According to Adeola, his father asked the defendant to change the position of the generator, but the accused refused to do so.
“My father had to move the generator away from its former position.
“The defendant fought with my father, which led to his death.
“When the defendant was cutting my father with the cutlass, I pleaded with him not to kill my father, but he refused to listen to me,” Adeola said in court.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Tijani was first arraigned on January 21, 2016, on one count of murder preferred against him by Lagos State.
NAN also reports that the defendant, who resided in an uncompleted building with the deceased at Okun in the Ajah area of Lagos, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, the Attorney General of Lagos State, had told the court that Tijani, 31, unlawfully killed one Bashorun Okanlawon, 57, with a machete at about 2.30am on February 8, 2015.
He said the offence contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Another prosecution witness, Sergeant David Abu, the Investigating Police Officer, told the court that at about 2.13am on the day of the incident, the defendant came to the police station to report a case of assault.
Abu said 10 minutes after the defendant made the report, the lifeless body of the victim was brought to the station in a tricycle.
“It was discovered that the deceased complained to the defendant to adjust the position of his generator because of the fumes entering his room.
“When the defendant did not comply, the deceased complained to one Alfa, who owned a block moulding factory near the house.
“It was on their way from the Alfa’s place that the defendant picked a cutlass, went after the deceased and cut his left hand, leg and waist.
“When the deceased was no longer moving, the defendant took a bottle and stabbed himself on the left arm. He ran to the police station to make a report of assault,” Abu said.
Another witness, Inspector John Babalola, who said the case was given to him at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, also confirmed the incident.
He identified the cutlass recovered from the scene of crime, which was tendered and admitted as an exhibit.
However the defendant’s counsel, Onome Akpeneye, asked for an adjournment to enable him to cross-examine the witnesses.
Consequently, Justice Adedayo Akintoye adjourned the case for continuation of trial.
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