Traditional ruler, son arraigned for alleged murder

For the alleged murder of one Alhaji Olatunji Rasak, a traditional ruler, Nojimu Abioye and his son, Wahab Abioye, was arraigned yesterday before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.
   
The duo were docked on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. They pleaded not guilty to the charge read to them before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.
   
According to the prosecution counsel, Mr. M.T. Adewoye of Nojimu, the Baale of Temidire and Wahab his son, committed the offences around 10:00a.m. on July 20, 2015 at the Temidire Area of Alagbado, Lagos. 

Meanwhile, a Minna magistrates’ court has fixed March 7, 2018 for further mention in a case of culpable homicide against one Umar Wakili of Sabon gida in the Gbako Local Government Area. The accused person was alleged to have killed his daughter-in-law, Talatu Mohammed, through accidental discharge of his Dane gun in November last year.
   
The report added that the accused person returned from his farm with firewood on his motorcycle with his Dane gun on his shoulder when the gun accidentally discharged and hit the deceased on her chest, who died immediately on the spot. 
   
The police prosecutor, Sgt. Mohd Ilimi, told the court that investigations into the case are still in progress and prayed the court for adjournment to enable the police duplicate the case file for sending to the Ministry of Justice for advise.
   
Presiding magistrate, Alh. Hamza Muazu, adjourned the case for further mention, while ordering the accused to be remanded in prison custody. The offence is punishable under Section 221 of the penal code. 

Also, the village head of Madara in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, Malam Mohammed Sani, was yesterday arraigned before a Senior Magistrates’ Court in Minna for culpable homicide.

According to the Police Information Report on the matter obtained by The Guardian, the 50-year-old traditional ruler was alleged to have sometimes in December last year killed one Abbas Usman said to be an imbecile and an adopted child of the accused person.

He was alleged to have used a hoe-handle to hit the deceased on the head causing serious injuries, which led to his death. The report said the accused person thereafter dumped the deceased’s body in an abandoned well near his residence.

It was gathered that the offensive odour from the decomposing body of the deceased attracted residents to the well, where the body was discovered. The village head pleaded guilty, even as he blamed the devil for his action when the case came up for mention and the charges read to him.

The offence is in contravention of Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The prosecuting police officer, Inspector Muazu Abdullahi, objected to the bail of the accused person on the grounds that the case in question was not ordinarily bailable and that investigation into the matter was still inconclusive.
 
The presiding magistrate, Hajiya Amina Musa, after considering the gravity of the offence, ordered that the accused person be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to March 8 for further mention.