A 40-year-old man, Elvis Mbekwe has been arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure, on a count of murder.
Mbekwe was accused of beating his 28-year-old girlfriend, Uchenna Akujobi, who lived in his house, with a fist blow and a horsewhip, which led to her death after their Valentine’s Day celebration went sour.
The incident reportedly arose from Mbekwe’s suspicion that his lover was involved in a romantic relationship with a man, who visited her on Valentine’s Day.
Following his arrest by officers of the Ondo State Police Command, the suspect was arraigned on February 26, 2025.
The prosecutor, Folashade Adeyemi, informed the court that the accused and others at large committed the offence on February 14, 2025, at Gold Line Estate, Ile-Oluji, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Adeyemi alleged that on that day, the accused unlawfully caused the death of his girlfriend, Uchenna, by beating her to death.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant demanded an explanation from the deceased about her relationship with a man who frequently visited her in his apartment, even on Valentine’s Day.
She told the court that Mbekwe, who suspected that his lover was having an affair with the man, got infuriated and it led to a verbal war between the duo.
“During the scuffle, the defendant allegedly beat the deceased with a fist blow and a horsewhip which led to her death,” she said.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 316 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ondo State 2006.
The plea of the defendant was not taken.
Mbekwe, in his statement at the police station, claimed that it was the deceased who attacked him with a broken glass.
Adeyemi prayed the court to remand the defendant to any correctional centre in the state, pending the outcome of advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, in the State Ministry of Justice.
Magistrate R.I. Adelakin, while granting the prosecutor’s request, remanded the defendant to the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending advice from the DPP.
The magistrate held: “Going through the defendant’s statement and the prosecution claim, I am satisfied that probable cause has been proved by the prosecution for the remand of the defendant as there is a reasonable doubt to suspect that the accused is involved in the commission of the alleged offence.
“Consequently, he should be remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre while the case file shall be transmitted to the office of the DPP for advice.”
Adelakin adjourned the case till March 27, 2025, for mention.
Barely a week ago, a 23-year-old man, Gbolahan Adebayo was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for allegedly beating his girlfriend to death at Ijedodo in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred during the deceased’s visit to the suspect’s house on Friday 21 February 2025.
A resident who identified himself simply as Akin told our correspondent that the 23-year-old victim was heard screaming for help around midnight while being beaten by her boyfriend.
Akin added that Adebayo later raised the alarm at daybreak after he found out she was no longer responsive after the assault.
He said, “The girl was a regular visitor to the suspect’s home and came around as usual on Friday night. But when it was about 2 am, neighbours started hearing someone screaming and later discovered it was the suspect who was beating her girlfriend in his room. The screaming lasted at intervals for about an hour.
“After that, the screaming stopped. It was in the morning that the boyfriend started shouting for help and when the neighbours who were around at that time went to attend to him, they saw the girl lying motionless on the bed.”
A police source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said the incident was reported at the Isheri-Oshun Police Division by the suspect’s neighbour on Sunday.
The source said the girl was first taken to the hospital where she later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the incident before it was reported to the police.
“When the neighbour came, he explained that the incident happened two days ago and that efforts were first made to resuscitate the girl but she eventually passed away. As a result, a team of policemen were immediately drafted to the scene, leading to an ongoing investigation.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
The image maker said visible marks of violence were found on the deceased’s body, adding that her corpse had been deposited in the morgue.
He said, “One neighbour reported at Isheri Osun Division that on 21/02/25 at about 2 am, he saw his neighbour, one Gbolahan Adebayo ‘m’ age 23 years beating his girlfriend aged 25 years in his home in Ijedodo for a yet-to-be-determined reason. However, at about 7 am the said Gbolahan Adebayo reportedly screamed for help and on getting to his apartment, the said girlfriend was met lying unconscious on the bed with visible marks of violence found on the body.
“She was immediately taken to a hospital in Ijegun where he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. Based on the report, a team of detectives visited the scene of the incident. The hospital was also visited, where the corpse was inspected and photographed. The corpse was evacuated and deposited at the IDH morgue, Yaba for autopsy. The suspect was promptly arrested and an investigation is in progress on the matter,” Hundeyin concluded.
