The Lagos State Government on Monday said it is ready to arraign Mrs Udeme Odibi, 47, who allegedly stabbed her husband to death and severed his genital in Lekki area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, at the State High Court for murder.
Otike Odibi, 50, was murdered at Diamond Estate, Sango-Tedo area of Lekki by his wife in a gruesome manner.
At a news conference on Monday in Alausa, Lagos, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem said government was concerned about increasing cases of intimate partner violence in the state, leading to murder.
Kazeem said the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, issued legal advice on the matter, stating that the available facts established a prima facie case of murder contrary to section 223 punishable by death and misconduct with regard to a corpse contrary to section 165 (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 punishable with five years imprisonment against the suspected Udeme.
“Section 165 (b) particularly creates an offence of felony for cutting up or mutilating a human corpse just as we have in the deceased person. Facts available in file reveal that the suspect, subsequent to her stabbing her husband, mutilated his corpse by cutting his genitals, The suspect is therefore to stand trial before the High Court of Lagos for the murder of her husband and mutilation of his corpse.
“The trial of Udeme Odibi will commence as soon as the case is assigned to a court by the Chief Judge. This office will ensure expeditious trial of this matter,” he said.
Kazeem expressed dismay at the rising rate of domestic violence in the state, saying that only last month, a Danish national allegedly killed his wife and child in Lagos.
“The good citizens of Lagos are enjoined to fulfill their role as compulsory reporters by ensuring that any case of domestic violence is immediately reported to the police, Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, or any other relevant authority to avoid unnecessary loss of lives,” he said.
The Attorney General disclosed that the DSVRT commissioned a research on 15th May, 2018 on domestic violence and mortality among intimate partners, saying that “we hope that the data received from the research will help us understand the pattern of incidents of domestic violence, the link between domestic violence and fatalities and how domestic violence can be curbed.”
Kazeem warned citizens engaged in any form of domestic violence to henceforth desist from such acts to avoid being brought under the full weight of he law, as government would not tolerate such behaviour “and offenders are hereby warned accordingly.”
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