A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a 32-year-old carpenter, Onyekachi Agu, to seven years imprisonment for pouring acid on his ex-girlfriend, Aishat Adefarati, and her new lover, Monsuru Ahmed. The incident occurred on July 3, 2020, at Gangare Hotel, Mile 12, Lagos.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Justice Oyindamola Ogala found Agu guilty of the one-count charge of grievous harm. The judge stated that Agu’s retraction of his confessional statement was an attempt to lie and escape punishment. Mrs. Ogala also noted that the defendant failed to bring his brother, who he claimed to have been with on the day of the incident, to the court.
Prosecution presented four witnesses and tendered several pieces of evidence during the trial, while Agu testified as the sole witness for defense. Agu’s former lover testified on how she had been harassed and assaulted by him, which later led to their separation after three years of the relationship.
Mrs. Ogala said that the case of the prosecution was premised on circumstantial evidence. The victims showed the court the level of damage to their bodies, and the action of the defendant was considered an intention.
In his plea for mercy, the convict apologized to the court and asked Ahmed, who was present in court, to forgive him.
In view of the evidence before the court, Justice Ogala found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to seven years in jail term. The offence contravenes Section 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
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