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LAGOS, Nigeria - A mild drama unfolded on Monday at the Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State when a complainant,Chinyere Ejike, urged the court to keep her husband, Livinus Ejike, in custody due to alleged assault.
According to reports, Ejike was arraigned on February 5 on three charges: assaulting his wife, threatening her and their children, and causing a breach of peace.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate Lateef Layeni had previously granted him bail amounting to N300,000 with two sureties of equal value. However, the defendant was unable to fulfill the bail requirements and thus remained detained.
The magistrate had adjourned the case to March 5 for mention, but on that date, the investigating police officer failed to appear.
The case was subsequently postponed until Monday, April 7, for another mention. On that Monday, the defendant was also absent, with the prosecution citing logistical issues for his non-appearance.
The magistrate then inquired if the complainant was willing to forgive her husband to resolve the matter.
In her response, she requested that the court continue to hold her husband in custody, stating that he was no longer relevant to her.
She further expressed that he had been cruel to her and had assaulted her on multiple occasions.
As a result, the court adjourned the case again until May 19 for another mention. The police indicated that the alleged offences occurred on February 3 in the Illogbo area of Ojo.
The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, claimed that the defendant physically assaulted his wife, threatened her and their children with a knife, and disrupted the peace by throwing her belongings out of their home.
The offences are said to violate Sections 58, 166, and 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
