A 32-year-old carpenter, Onyekachi Agu, was yesterday convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for pouring acid on his former girlfriend, Aishat Adefarati, and rival, Mansur Ahmed.
Agu was sent to prison by the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Oyindamola Ogala after finding him guilty as charged. Justice Ogala, while handing down her judgment, found Agu guilty of a count charge slammed against him by the Lagos State government.
The trial judge held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant beyond rea – sonable doubt. It would be recalled that the Lagos State governmental alleged that the defendant committed the offence on July 3, 2020, at Gangare Hotel, Mile 12, Lagos, with a revelation that the convict had traced the two complainants to a hotel and poured the acid on them.
According to the Lagos State government, Agu’s offence offends the provision of Section 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. But the judge declared that the case of the prosecution is premised on circumstantial evidence, as the victims had said they did not see his face when he poured the corrosive substance as they were sleeping when he poured it through the window of the hotel.
Justice Ogala said, “Pouring corrosive substance on the victims was never contradicted by the defendant.
