An Ikeja High Court has sentenced a carpenter, Onyekachi Agu, to seven years imprisonment for pouring acid on his ex-girlfriend and her new lover. According to reports, Justice Oyindamola Ogala held that the prosecution proved the one-count charge of grievous harm against Agu.
Agu’s retraction of his confessional statement was considered an attempt to lie and escape punishment. The judge noted that the convict did not produce his brother in court, who he claimed was with him on the day of the incident.
The court deemed Agu’s actions intentional, considering the evidence of the physical harm inflicted upon the victims. The prosecution based the case on witness’s admission of harassment and assault by former lover and circumstantial evidence. Agu was the sole witness for the defense, while prosecution presented four witnesses and considerable evidence.
On July 3, 2020, at Gangare Hotel, Mile 12, Lagos, the carpenter found Aishat and her new lover and attacked them with acid. The offence contravenes Section 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The carpenter pleaded for mercy, telling the court that he was sorry and asking Ahmed, who was present in court, to forgive him. Human Rights Defenders and Access to Justice Centre shared a video of Monsuru, one of the victims, in the hospital.
Domestic violence leads to legal consequences; seeking help and avoiding violence is crucial.
cc: The Cable