3rd May, 2012
A 26-year old commercial sex worker, accused of stabbing a man to death, on Wednesday told an Ikeja High Court that she killed the victim in self defence.
Hope Okafor was charged with stabbing Samuel Sarumi, on March 2, 2010 and which later resulted in his death.
Led in defence by Mrs. A. Onabolu, the defence counsel, Okafor said that the deceased came to the hotel at about midnight on the fateful day to see his girlfriend.
“Samuel came into my room and asked for his girlfriend, but I told him that the girl had gone out, but he refused to leave, wanting to force me into having sex with him, but I declined.
“He held me by the neck and almost choked me and when I was able to escape his grip, I ran into my room and I broke a bottle so as to scare him away as he had followed me into my room.
“He, however, refused to leave and I was forced to stab him and he ran out immediately and he later brought in some hoodlums into the room and they beat me up,” said the commercial sex worker.
According to Okafor, she sustained injuries on her mouth, back and face following the attack, explaining that she did not know that Sarumi died until her arrest by the police the next day.
“I was in Panti Police Station for over a month before I was later taken into prison custody,” she said.
She described the deceased as a jovial and generous man who treated her well anytime he visited his girlfriend, Ivie.
Okafor said: “Before I was arrested, Samuel’s mother visited me and accused me of being a murderer and that I too must be killed.”
Principal State Counsel Osunmola Balogun had alleged that the defendant stabbed Sarumi with a broken bottle on his shoulder and near his armpit, resulting in his death.
Justice Lateefat Okunnu adjourned the matter to June 28 for further hearing.