Carpenter, husband remanded for alleged murder in Lagos

A court in Lagos has remanded Awele Ukpor, a 54-year-old carpenter, for allegedly killing one Joy Onyekachi, a lady he met at a restaurant in the Ajangbadi area of the state on November 19.

Ukpor was said to have met Onyekachi at a bar in the area.

Engaging in a conversation with the deceased, Ukpor had offered to take Onyekachi home after she told him she had lost her job.

The suspect had promised to pay Onyekachi N60,000 to help her start up a business.

However, after he had spent the night with her, he offered her N20,000, which was not the initial agreement. An argument ensued and Ukpor allegedly hit an iron basin on her head.

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

In a similar case, 37-year-old Matthew Isaac was remanded at the Ikoyi correctional centre on Monday for the alleged murder of his wife, Mariam Awa.

Isaac and his wife were said to have argued over his decision to travel to his hometown alone to see his ailing father.

A fight started and Isaac hit her head against a wall.

After realising his wife was lifeless, Isaac called his friend and they buried her in a shallow grave close to their house.

Ukpor and Isaac were brought before Linda Balogun, the presiding magistrate, at a magistrate court in Yaba, 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 at the correctional centre pending the outcome of legal advice from the office of the directorate of public prosecutions.