Crime

Carpenter, husband remanded for alleged murder of young woman

Published by Fakinlede Tope John on December 19th, 2023.

Carpenter, husband remanded for alleged murder of young woman

A 54-year-old carpenter, Awele Ukpor, has been remanded for allegedly killing a young woman, Joy Onyekachi, whom he met at a restaurant in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos State on November 19, 2023.

It was gathered in court on Monday that Ukpor met Onyekachi in a bar he visited in the area and they engaged in a conversation.

Our correspondent further gathered that during their conversation, Onyekachi told Ukpor that she had lost her job and he offered to take her home and afterwards pay her N60,000 to start up something.

However, after he had spent the night with her, he offered her N20,000, which was not the initial agreement and while she was arguing with him, he allegedly hit an iron basin on her head, and she died.

Ukpor afterwards sought the help of a scrap collector who helped him bury her in a shallow grave behind an abandoned bakery.

In another case, 37-year-old Matthew Isaac was remanded to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre on Monday for the alleged murder of his wife, Mariam Awa, on October 24, 2023, in the Igando area of Lagos State.

Isaac and his wife, according to a revelation, had an argument over his decision to travel to his hometown alone to see his ailing father.

However, in the process, they started fighting and he hit her head against a wall and she died. Isaac, discovering that she had died, called his friend and together they buried her in a shallow grave close to their house.

Ukpor and Isaac were brought before Magistrate Linda Balogun sitting before a Magistrate’s Court in Yaba, Lagos State on a one-count of murder.

The police prosecutor, Chekwube Okeh, told the court that offences committed by the defendants were contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

She prayed the court to remand the defendants to the correctional centre pending the outcome of legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

The charges read separately, “That you, Matthew Isaac, on October 24, 2023, around 12.15 am, at No. 15, Governor Road, Igando Oko Filling Station, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill the deceased, one Mariam Awa, by hitting her head on the wall, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015

That you, Awele Ukpor, November 19, 2023, at Jelli Close, Ajangbadi, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill the deceased, Joy Onyekachi, aged 24 years, by hitting an iron basin on her head and thereafter secretly buried the corpse in a shallow grave and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

The pleas of the defendants were not taken.

Granting the request of the prosecutor, the magistrate remanded the defendants to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending legal advice from the DPP.

Magistrate Balogun also adjourned the cases till January 24, 2023, for the DPP advice.