- Another man allegedly beats wife to death in Lagos
- Rivers man suspected to have strangled wife arrested
A high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo Abuja on Wednesday, sentenced one Ayedun Makanjuola to four years’ imprisonment for running over and killing his wife, Adenike.
The FCT police commissioner charged Mr Makanjuola with culpable homicide.
Justice Angela Otaluka held that the deceased’s act of throwing her husband’s food away and hurling a stone at the rear windscreen of his car while he tried to drive out was provocative.
Her Lordship said she did not consider Makanjuola reversing his car as retaliation but as a loss of control of his feelings.
“It was not a deliberate action but sudden. The prosecution has failed to prove the intent of the defendant but has proven the offence of culpable homicide.
“I find the defendant guilty of culpable homicide not punishable with death and convict him,” the judge said.
The defence counsel, Kolade Adeboyega, told the court that the defendant was a responsible man and was planning a trip to bring their two children home with the deceased before the incident.
Adeboyega urged the court to consider the children who are living with their maternal grandmother.
Justice Otaluka then, sentenced the defendant to four years’ imprisonment, including the two years and 10 months he had already spent in jail, citing sections 222 and 224 of the Penal Code.
Section 222 states that culpable homicide is not punishable with death if the offender, while deprived of the power of self-control by grave and sudden provocation, causes the death of the person who gave the provocation or causes the death of any other person by mistake or accident.
Section 224 states that whoever commits culpable homicide, not punishable by death, will be punished with imprisonment for life or any lesser term or with a fine or with both.
The prosecution counsel, Adama Musa, told the court that Makanjuola reversed his vehicle and ran over his wife, which led to her death on May 7, 2021, after a misunderstanding.
The prosecution counsel said Mr Makanjuola reversed his car and crashed the deceased into a concrete fence, which caused her serious injuries, and rushed his wife to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
In his defence, Makanjuola, said he put the car in reverse mode in anger and mistakenly crushed his wife.
Meanwhile, the police in Lagos state has arrested a man named Emmanuel Okpara for allegedly beating his 40-year-old wife, Patience Johnson, to death.
Police sources said the deceased’s son, Destiny, on March 26 visited the Elere police division to report that he received a call from a neighbor that his mother’s husband has severely beaten her, leaving her with serious injuries.
The police said Destiny immediately visited his mum and found her badly injured and vomitting blood with the said Emmanuel nowhere in sight. Destiny is said to have rushed his mum to the Orile Agege General hospital where she was receiving treatment until she sadly passed away at about 6am today March 28.
The corpse of the deceased has been evacuated to the Mainland general hospital for an autopsy to be carried out on it.
Confirming the incident to LIB, the spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspect is currently in detention as investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Earlier in the month, the Police in Rivers State arrested a man, identified as Michael Chidozie, for allegedly beating his wife and strangling her to death.
It was learnt that the incident happened at their residence in Mile 4, near Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The couple’s children are aged 10, seven and five respectively; all boys.
A source in the area who spoke to PUNCH on the condition of anonymity said the victim and mother of three, Ufuoma Eriera Chidozie, who hails from Delta State, allegedly died after sustaining injuries from her husband’s assault in the early hours of Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
The source said Chidozie called his late wife’s brother to report an emergency at home but fled before his in-laws arrived.
He further revealed that the couple had been having issues before now, adding that the man had been complaining to some of his close friends.
The source said, “When the late woman’s brother arrived, the house was open and quiet. He then went in only to find the lifeless body of his sister. He shouted and called out the name of the woman’s husband.
“But he was nowhere to be found, and there was no trace of him. Since then they have been looking for him and even reported the matter to the police.”
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday morning by the Agip Police Division, Mile 4, Port Harcourt, and investigation is ongoing.
Iringe-Koko further disclosed that following his arrest, the suspect was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Port Harcourt for discreet investigation.
She said, “The suspect has been arrested. He has been transferred to the SCIID for discreet and proper investigation.”
Her remains has since been deposited in the mortuary, as the police and the family had agreed on an autopsy as part of the investigation before she would be buried.
Credits: NAN/PUNCH/Linda Ikeji
