Spare Parts Dealer Bathes Girlfriend With Acid

A 32-year old spare parts dealer has been arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Magistrate’s Court, Ebute-Metta, Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria, for felony and causing bodily injury on Agu Onyinye Blessing, a corps member serving in Badagry West Local Council Development Area, Lagos State.

The spare parts dealer, Collins Udeh, was said to have visited the victim, who was his girl friend at the secretariat of the local government, where she is undergoing her one year compulsory national youth service on 21 February, 2011, when he poured some liquid content suspected to be acid on the victim.

It was gathered that if not for the efforts of the other council staff who were attracted by the agonising cry of the victim, who apprehended the spare parts dealer and handed him over to local vigilance group who later handed him over to the police after the attack he would have escaped.

Count two of the charge against him read: “that you Ifeanyi Collins Udeh on 21 February, 2011, at Badagry West Local Council Development Area Secretariat, Kankon, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully wound Agu Onyinye Blessing, by pouring on her acid or substance that caused her injuries all over her body and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 338(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. C17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. Kemi Doja-Ojo, granted him bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum.

One of the sureties, according to the magistrate, must be a community leader while another must be a property owner within the magisterial district.

They must also show evidence of livelihood, residence within the magisterial district and evidence of paying tax to the Lagos state government.

The case has been adjourned till 20 May 2011.

However, despite granting him bail, he was being presently kept in the prisons custody as he is yet to meet the bail condition.

—Paul Sanusi