Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada, on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, sentenced a 32-year-old vulcaniser, Chidozie Onyinchiz, to death by hanging for robbing a nurse of N57,000.
Justice Dada gave the judgement after the prosecution had proved the three-count charge of armed robbery, membership of an unlawful society, and conspiracy against the victim beyond all reasonable doubt.
She said the convict’s attempt to wriggle out of the charges was futile as he earlier confessed to the police at Igando, Lagos, that his victim, Veronica Uwayzor sighted him, and they recognised each other at the scene of the incident.
The defendant had noted that the complainant pointed at him as one of the members of a gang which wielded pair of scissors and forcefully snatched her bag containing N57,000 at the Akesan bus stop.
The complainant said neither the defendant nor his accomplice, Ediri Endurance (still at large) put on masks, which made it easy for her to recognise Onyinchiz a few hours after the robbery.
In his first statement at Igando Police Station, the defendant confessed that he is a vulcaniser and that Ediri and he went to the said Bus Stop on the very day of the robbery.
Onyinchiz also admitted to belonging to an unlawful society. He said, “In 2009, I was initiated into Eiye Confraternity, but I have not killed before. This is my first time coming to Akesan to steal.”
‘It was self-defense’ – Chinese Man Accused Of Murdering Kaduna-based Girlfriend Tells Court
Frank Geng Quangrong, the Chinese national, on Thursday, January 12, 2023, told the Kano High Court that he was attempting to save his life when he unknowingly stabbed his Nigerian lover, late Ummukulsum Sani Buhari.
Frank spoke through an interpreter while testifying in defence of the ongoing trial before the court presided over by Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji.
He said the deceased picked a knife and attempted to stab him, but that he gained possession of the knife and unknowingly stabbed her, while trying to escape from the deceased’s firm grip, who held his neck, almost suffocating him.
He said he doesn’t know where he precisely stabbed her but was told by the deceased’s neighbour, Aminu, who visited him in the CID custody after three days, that he stabbed her on her shoulder and leg, which led to her demise.
The Chinese national told the court that upon receiving the shocking news of her demise, he cried bitterly because he really loved her and never intended to harm her.
According to him, “On the fateful day, 16th September, 2022, I called her (Ummu) several times but she didn’t pick the calls.
“Around 8:30pm, I called her again, through WhatsApp, and she didn’t pick the call. She told me to stop disturbing her life since I couldn’t afford to satisfy her financially.
“She asked me to return her pet dog, Chalie, which she gave me as a gift. Any time she was missing the dog, she asked me to bring the dog for her or she came to my house to see the dog.
“And that was why I took the dog along and on my way I told her I was coming with the dog.
“When I arrived, I sent message to her through WhatsApp that I was outside and she replied saying I was stupid.
“All the conversations are in the phone and Whatsapp which have been handed over to my lawyers.
“Later, she sent her sister, Asiya, who came and picked the dog from the car, shut the door on me and left me standing for close to 30 minutes under the rain.
“I was wet and cold. I knocked severally but nobody answered. Their neighbour, Mustapha approached me and called Ummu’s sister, Asiya on the phone, but she didn’t pick.
“Finally, the deceased’s mother, Fatima, opened the door for me and I went inside to pick up the dog which ran to me.
“After picking the dog, I wanted to go out, but Ummu rushed out from the living room and locked up the door preventing me from going out.
“She started abusing me in English and Hausa. She slapped me many times and called me idiot, animal Chinese fool and some I couldn’t understand.
“This was not the first time she slapped me. She slapped me four different times, in the presence of her family and her friends.
“She is hot tempered and gets angry easily and when she is angry the family members don’t intervene because they are afraid.
“When she was beating and abusing me, the mother asked to stop but she was not listening as she continued. At that time, I stood there holding the dog in my hand.
“At that time, she was still angry as if she was mad; she rushed back to the living room and grabbed the knife and rushed at me. I was scared when I saw her carry knife and so I dropped the dog on the ground.
“When she attempted to stab me with knife, I held her hand and collected the knife from her.
“While attempting to regain possession of the knife, she bit my left arm and finger. She continued abusing, fighting and calling the name of my mother which is the highest insult in the culture of Chinese.
“At that moment, I was still in possession of the knife and she used her hand to grab my private part and was pulling it. I felt pains and had to succumb.
“The deceased’s mother told her to stop, but Ummu called her sister, Asiya to call the police that I wanted to rape her (Ummu).
“And that she will not allow me to leave until when the Police come and arrest me and the Nigerian Immigration Service will depot me.
