Couple remanded in prison for bathing woman with acid

Punch reports that the verdict was reached by Magistrate J.O. Adepoju, who opined that due to the severity of the injuries sustained by the victim and the weight of the charges, the two defendants should be remanded in custody pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

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It was gathered that the genesis of the problem that saw the victim attacked with the substance, started when Chidi who was dating Nwosu, proposed marriage to her her and when his wife learned of the development, she sent a threat text message to the victim.

Nwosu had alleged that immediately Nkiru got to know about the proposed marriage between her and her husband, she started threatening her (Nwosu) through calls and messages.

She narrated that on October 6, 2016, she had closed from work at the Computer Village in Ikeja and had reached Ilasamaja around 8 pm on her way home when a man alighted from a motorcycle and threw the acid on her.

Nwosu said she suspected Nkiru because of the threats she had been receiving from her before the incident, adding that while also on the hospital bed, she still threatened her.

The case was referred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba, from where it was later transferred to the Federal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, Alagbon.

The suspects were arraigned on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, on four counts of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm.

The charges read in part:

“That you, Chidi Ubochianjonjo and Nkiru Ubochianjonjo, on or about October 6, 2016, at Ilasamaja bus stop, Ilasamaja, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, did conspire with others at large to commit felony to wit: attempted murder.

That you did attempt to murder one Ogochukwu Nwosu by bathing her with the substance suspected to be acid.”

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The police prosecutors, O.A. Ochogu and Nicholas Ekpene, said the offenses were punishable under sections 411, 230, 232 and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

While Chidi is to be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, his wife will be cooling her feet inside the Kirikiri Minimum Prison pending when the case would be heard on April 11, 2017.