20th March, 2012
A man, charged with bathing his ex-wife with acid, on Monday refused to have a legal representation in court but personally cross examined her.
Samson Igbinowahia, 47, cross examined his wife, Susan Jeremiah, before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court.
He had told Magistrate H.O. Omisore on March 5 that he would not hire a counsel but would handle the case personally.
Igbinowahia was charged with pouring 32-year old Jeremiah with acid over the dissolution of their marriage and the woman’s refusal to sponsor his trip to Malaysia.
During the cross examination, the defendant said that he never consented to the dissolution of the marriage and would not accept the divorce.
He also said that the marriage, blessed with a child, was peaceful.
Responding to Omisore’s question on whether he had concluded the cross examination, the defendant said: “I have finished my own; I leave the rest for God.”
During the cross examination, Jeremiah insisted that the union had been dissolved and that he poured the acid on her because she refused to sponsor his overseas’ trip.
She also submitted that the acid injured their two-year old child who, she said, was beside her when it was poured.
In her evidence-in -chief on March 5, the woman had told the court that she refused to sell her late husband’s property and sponsor the defendant’s proposed Malaysian trip, as he demanded.
She said that the acid was poured on her on October 25, 2010 at her residence at Obalende.
The woman, whose legs and hands were peeled by the acid, was led in evidence by Inspector Philip Idowu.
She told the court that after the death of her first husband, she married Igbinowahia who, she said, was only interested in what he could gain from her.
The victim said that her refusal to meet the defendant’s demands had attracted battering from him, and that he had threatened to kill her and the child.
Jeremiah said she filed a divorce suit following the threat and secured the divorce.
She added that she had packed out the defendant’s residence.
According to her, the defendant came to her residence on that fateful day and requested to be allowed in but she refused.
She said that he then appealed to her to come to the balcony and collect from him some beverages he bought for their baby.
She told the court that she consequently came closer to the defendant who poured acid on her.
Jeremiah said that when she asked him why he did it, he told her that he intended to disfigure her before accepting the divorce.
The case has been adjourned till March 30 for evidence by the second prosecution witness.
NAN reports that Igbinowahia, who was arraigned on March 9, 2011, is still in prison custody because he had yet to meet his bail conditions.
The court had granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in like sum.