Lagos court sentences man to death by hanging

Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Thursday, sentenced one Sulaiman Olalekan to death by hanging for the murder of his wife, Chika Egbo.

The convict was said to have on November 20, 2012 in a case of domestic violence, poured acid on his wife, having become overwhelmed by the fact that the deceased went back to prostitution against his best advice.

The attack led to the eventual death of the victim, an incident that runs contrary to the zero tolerance posture of Lagos State on issues of domestic violence, and for which the state government through ministry of justice filed a suit against the convict.

The trial judge, Justice Lawal Akapo, in his judgment, convicted Olalekan for the murder of his wife and sentenced him to death accordingly.

Olalekan reportedly met the deceased at Signal Hotel in Ijeshatedo area of Lagos State, where they started a relationship that resulted in marriage. It was after the marriage that Olalekan bought her a used Volkswagen Bus and paid her school fees at the Enugu College of Education.

But the deceased reportedly reneged on her commitment to the relationship by returning to prostitution, which caused Olalekan to procure acid from a battery charger in Ikotun area of the state and deceitfully invited her to visit with his mother on the said day when he poured raw acid on the deceased.

The victim was admitted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for emergency medical treatment, where she eventually died.

Justice Akapo, in arriving at his judgment, said he believed that the murder of Chika Egbo by Olalekan was premeditated.

Adeniji Kazeem, the state attorney general and commissioner for justice, who was the lead prosecuting counsel, in his reaction to the judgment, lauded the court for a well-considered punishment.

He said: “Today’s judgment is a victory in our fight against domestic violence and a victory for domestic violence victims.”

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, it would be recalled, had pledged to make Lagos uncomfortable for perpetrators of domestic violence when he led an All-Male Walk against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) late last year.