The Nation Newspaper

Tag: MAN

  • Man, 43, hacks wife to death over snake

    A middle aged man identified as Godwin Idon, during the week, allegedly killed his 40-year-old wife for killing a snake inside their home in Uzebba-Iuleha, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

    The week-long quarrel was said to have ensued between the couple after one of the sons of the deceased had killed the snake in the couple’s living room.

    The deceased’s husband was said to have been infuriated by the action which he described as a taboo in the community.

    Our reporter gathered that it is seen as a taboo to kill a snake inside a home of any Uzebba-Iuleha person.

    Investigation revealed that after a week of quarrel, the deceased, in company of her mother-in-law, decided to see a native doctor in order to know the implication of the son’s action.

    It was upon her return that the husband accused her of foul-play and subsequently used a plank to hit her on the head after a reported quarrel between them.

    The remains of the woman who reportedly died on the spot has been deposited in a morgue in Sabongidda-Ora, headquarters of the council.

    The Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, Mr. David Jimwang confirmed the incident and said the man who was immediately arrested has been transferred to the State Police Command.

    The Nation gathered that the deceased’s son, who was alleged to have killed the snake, is a product of the late victim’s earlier marriage.

  • Honour to a man of charity

    Honour to a man of charity

    The quintessential captain of industry Chief Raymond Zard is 75 this year. And to appreciate his magnanimity and service to humanity, top dignitaries, including a former governor, captains of industries, eggheads, clergy, sheikhs and more put pen to paper in honour of the octogenerian Chief Zard by way of tributes and essays.

    The 182-page book, which is entitled: A Life of Charity: Essays and Tributes in Honour of Chief (Dr) Raymond Zard, OFR, takes readers into the life of Zard. Born on May 27, 1938 in Ibadan, Oyo State, into the family Khalil and Latife Assad Zard of Lebanon who established a prosperous cocoa business in Ibadan, young Raymond was raised in the fear of God and was taught to love his fellow man “unaffectedly”.

    As he grew up, his background impacted on his worldview and love for God and humanity. And what better way to show it if not by giving, the contributors stated. And so it is said of the octogenerian that if charity is a virtue given to a few, Zard was one of the few. This, among his other qualities, has earned several awards, they stated.

    Aside having the tributes and essays of bigwigs, the book, which is edited by Tony Marinho and Biola Layonu, has other features that stands it out.

    Firstly, it has its forward written by nine personalities, including former Oyo State Governor Omololu Olunloyo; former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Emeritus Ayo Banjo; former Member, National Judicial Councils, Hon. Justice B.O.B Babalakin (CON); Chief Folake Solanke, (SAN) and Prof Akin Mayogunje (CFR).

    From its beginning to end, the reader is confronted by the many admirable sides and qualities of the man: from his early days to those of great accomplishments.

    They call him “a ray of hope”, “compassionate”, “generous”, “living legend”, an “Omoluabi”, “brother”, “friend” and more. And of all that is written on him, his kind-heartedness and generosity forms the major connecting thread that links each piece together in the collection.

    In it, you’d see a Zard (whether as a boy or man) that is full of love for and have contributed a lot to development of humanity, Nigeria in particular. You’d also see a man of immense humility who is touching lives without blowing his trumpet even at his age.

    In his tribute to this humanitarian, Chief Olunloyo describes this quality as “silent philanthropy”, stating that it, along with “compassion” and “kindness”, are some of the many hallmarks of his character.

    Some like Omololu, Layonu and Chief Ade-Ajayi and family calls him “a true Omoluabi”, meaning “a son of the soil”, “Omo ‘Badan” and a “Zard of Ibadan” who has been part and parcel of the Ibadan social life even before he became naturalised.

    “Long before his naturalisation as a Nigerian and his conferment of National Merit Award of the Order of Federal Republic (OFR)…Raymond Zard has been elevating every aspect of life in the historic city of Ibadan over the years.

    In her piece, Mrs Ade-Ajayi recounts the many contributions of Zard to the development of Ibadan and its social life.

    In addition to listing some of Zard’s philanthropic exploits, naming him the “doyen of donors”, Marinho describes him as a promoter of educational causes such as being patron at Educare Trust geared towards touching the lives of youths.

    The National Chairman, National Association of Catholic Diocesan/Secretaries of Education (NACDDED), Revd Fr Richard Omolade, urges the privileged class to emulate the qualities of Zard by reaching out to the poor. In his words: “Only by this way can we create a kingdom of love, justice and peace”.

    But the book is not only full of praises for the humanitarian, it also has diverse pictures of Zard. There are those which have the philanthropist receiving awards, charity work and support for sports and with notable personalities like a former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, the late Chief Bola Ige and his wife, Justice Atinuke, etc.

    However, going by the series of praises for the philanthropist, to a reader it would appear that Zard does not habour any human weakness at all. This does not reflect the human nature in its entirety. Hence, even though as a collection of tributes, the book sets out to praise his admirable qualities, the editors could have looked at his life’s experiences in its entirety, including his challenging moments and mistakes which he was faced with and overcame on his path to greatness.

    Since the book is a motivational of a sort, the editors should consider the above observation in subsequent editions. This would go a long way to motivate the young. They should also ensure it is available to the public.

    Written in an easy to understand language, it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The book makes an inspiring read that reminds its reader of the enduring virtues of that should be emulated, such as humility, endurance and charity.

     

     

  • Man sleeps with daughter, case adjourned till August 13

    Three prosecution witnesses on Thursday testified before Magistrate Ikwuemosi Osayande on the criminal case preferred against one Festus Joseph, who allegedly had carnal knowledge of his daughter and also gave false information to the Police in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

    In the criminal case with charge No MAU/1C/2013A, the accused person (Festus Joseph) is standing trial for an offence punishable under Section 125 A (A) (b) and 357 of the Criminal Code.

    Testifying in the case, the 6th prosecution witness, Mr. Daniel Taiye Erbohboi, a social welfare officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Auchi, after being led in evidence by Police Corporal Joshua Ogbaneme told the court how PW4 (Destiny Joseph) lodged complaint of sexual harassment against the accused, who was her father.

    The PW6 told the court that at the welfare office in Benin City, PW4, who was in a stable state of mind,  narrated how she was sexual harassed by the accused over time and that it was when she could no longer bear the unlawful sexual acts that she now reported the matter to the welfare office.

    Under cross examination by P.T Braimah Esq., counsel to the accused, Mr. Erbohboi told the court that he referred the complains of Destiny Joseph (PW4) from the Auchi Welfare Office to Benin City for onward assistance, since he was on vacation.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Can a woman ever really change a man?

    It’s that age-old dilemma: you’ve started dating a man, things are going pretty well – but you want to change some aspects of his style and personality. Is it ever possible or the right thing to do? Rebecca Holman investigates.

     

    WHAT are your relationship deal breakers? The news that your perfect man doesn’t ever want to get married or have children? The fact that he has a monster coke habit and gets a bit mean and aggressive when he’s drunk?

    Or maybe you sweat the smaller stuff after all, a terrible haircut, a bad slip-on shoe or some errant nose hair are all indicative of poor personal grooming habits and bad taste, and you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with someone who fundamentally has horrible taste, do you?

    FYI, I fall into the latter category I’ve been known to chuck men for wearing bad traveller’s beads, Speedo-style underpants rather than boxer shorts, and those bloody red trousers. Some things you just can’t un-see.

    But according to some of my friends, I’m a fool, rejecting perfectly good men just because they think it’s acceptable to wear beads with a suit. After all, they argue, these are the sort of little things you can change over time. You can slowly introduce a skincare routine. After the 12-month mark you can start to develop an opinion on their hair cut, and after a few years you can take over buying their clothes completely.

    What bothers you?

    Now I disagree. I (foolishly? naively?) think that even wanting to change these small things in a potential paramour is a recipe for disaster after all, if you spend your time, early on in a relationship, fixating on the things you don’t like about your partner, how are you ever going to remember all the things you do like? And there’s nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get when your date walks into the room, and you clock sight of his shoes.

    But maybe I’m alone. A survey carried out for Marks and Spencer and Oxfam’s Shwopping initiative earlier this year discovered that it takes women six months to start demanding their bloke changes his fashion sense. Half of women polled admitted to throwing away their partner’s offending items without their knowledge, and one in seven admitted to putting them in the wrong wash on purpose (despite the fact that we appear to have staggered into an episode of On The Buses, the aforementioned survey was genuinely conducted this year, I promise).

    So, I wouldn’t try and change what a man wears, or his haircut, or his skincare routine, because frankly I wouldn’t let things get that far in the first place but what about the big stuff? Forget a turned up rugby-short collar here, a tanned platted belt there, what if he really is an aggressive coke fiend? Or a feckless shagger? Or if he thinks that he doesn’t need a proper job because his band’s totally going to make it some day?

    In that case, move over ladies, I’m going to try and make that man my boyfriend. I think altering your bloke’s wardrobe is a bit passive aggressive but if he has a borderline personality disorder for me to fix, it’s a project.

    Personality transformations are tough

    After all, if he changes for me, instead of all the other women who came before me, it means I’m better – I’ve won, haven’t I?

    As you’ve probably guessed, they never change, and I never win, because trying to change someone’s fundamental personality traits is never going to work, even if the fundamental personality trait in question is being a bit of a douche bag. And do I ever learn? Do I hell.

    So where do we women draw the line? Getting someone to start picking up their socks is fine, and apparently reshaping your partner’s wardrobe to your own tastes is also acceptable. But what about criticising their weight? That’s fine because you want them to be healthy, isn’t it? And suggesting they get hair plugs? You’re saying it because you care – you just want them to make the best of themselves, which is a loving thing to do, yes?

    And what if they resist this change? What if you have to start monitoring their food intake and erm…driving them to the hair plug doctor (hair plug doctor?)? Then you become a nag, a classic sit-com housewife, and your entire relationship becomes one giant argument about his imperfections.

    ‘Self-improvement’….

    I can see how it could become a slippery slope once you’ve changed one thing with relatively little resistance, you’ll be tempted to move onto the next little niggle. You’ll start comparing your boyfriend to your friends’ partners, and next thing you know, you’re making little competitive upgrades. Or worse, you all end up with five identical boyfriends, perfectly coiffed and rubbing their newly acquired man moisturiser into their faces.

    But according to married friends, it’s just a part and parcel of a long-term relationship. One explained: “I feel like I’m constantly trying change my husband it’s an ongoing thing and has been for a few years. I fundamentally like who he is I love him and married him but I can’t help seeing room for improvement everywhere. I just see it as part of marriage, and he really doesn’t seem to mind. I’d stop if he did I don’t want to be a nag.”

    Can a man change a woman?

    Let’s look at the other side of the coin. As a woman, how would you feel if your current boyfriend tried to change the way you dress? Or your weight? Or fundamentally doesn’t like an aspect of your personality?

    Sophie, 34, found herself in just this position when she moved in with her (now ex) boyfriend. “Initially, everything was fine we got on brilliantly for the first year. Then he slowly started criticising what I ate, how often I went to the gym, how much I drank and how much money I spent.”

    “It happened so gradually, and I was so keen to please him and make it work, that I didn’t realise how much I’d changed and how much our relationship depended on me being a perfect version of myself.”

    Sophie ended it after three years when she realised that she could never make her ex happy just by being herself. “I wouldn’t enter into a relationship now unless we agreed on some fundamentals religion, our attitude to money and even our attitude to alcohol there are some ways in which you just need to be compatible from the outset. And with the rest I’d make sure I stood up for myself from the beginning”

    As a woman, I’m outraged on Sophie’s behalf that her boyfriend felt the need to change her like that but if one of my female friends was trying to get her boyfriend to cut down on how much he drank, lose a bit of weight or sort out his finances, I’d be much less concerned why is this?

    I want to say it should be straightforward if you’re in a relationship with someone, you’re kind and generous to them, and they can’t bring themselves to do the same back, you shouldn’t be in that relationship. But of course it’s not that black and white you can start off wanting someone to be the best version of themselves, and to reach their true potential so that they’re happy, but how soon till you’re taking every failure in their life personally, and not allowing them the luxury of faults, lest they embarrass you?

    So, I’m sticking to my guns with the red trousers, the traveller’s beads and the bad shoes. If I can’t live with it now, then I’m certainly not going to want to live with it in a decade’s time.

    And as for the personality disorders, the feckless shaggers and the alcoholics? I’d like to say that I’ve learnt my lesson and I’ll steer clear from now on, but I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep…

  • Man kills wife hours before twins’ naming ceremony

    Tragedy recently struck a couple who was preparing for the naming ceremony of their twins, as the wife, identified as Osarumwense was reportedly killed, by her husband.

    The incident was said to have occurred as a result of an argument on when the deceased mother should breastfeed the babies. Witnesses said the couple celebrated the birth of the twins last week Sunday and was preparing for the naming ceremony when the tragedy occurred. It was gathered that the husband, Endurance Enadeba, hit the wife on the head with an object which resulted in to her death. Enadeba had insisted that the wife breastfed the crying babies, with the latter insisting that she needed to urinate first. As a result, the husband approached the urinating wife and a fracas ensued, which led to him hitting the wife on the head.

    Father of the deceased who gave his name as Eghenayayore was seen weeping and cursing profusely over the corpse, while lamenting that his daughter had called to inform him of the incident, but died before she could be rushed to the hospital. He disclosed that the husband, Enadeba, fled immediately the wife collapsed.

    According to him, “He killed my daughter because of breastfeeding the twins. The twins are at home now, who will give them breatsmilk? Why did he kill my young daughter. This girl was born in 1996. We were preparing to name the babies tomorrow because it was their first issue.”

    Police spokesman, DSP Moses Eguavoen, confirmed the incident. He said the husband has been arrested from his hide-out.

  • Man ‘beats wife to death’

    •Dumps her in shallow grave

    A 45-year-old man, Mr. Adewale Daramola, on Monday allegedly beat his wife to death at Igbemo-Ekiti in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

    A source said the deceased, Iyabo, 38, had three children for her husband.

    Daramola, popularly called Wasco, reportedly buried his wife in a shallow grave in a nearby bush after killing her.

    The source said his action enraged the people of the community and the deceased’s relations.

    The Nation learnt that the wife was not well-fed and was malnourished because of the uncaring attitude of the husband. On the day of the incident, she appealed to him to give her money to buy food for their children.

    The source further said rather than give her the money or go out as he usually does, Daramola “dealt his frail wife blows as though he was fighting another man.

    “At a point, the woman ran out of the home, she kept running. However, she later fell down as she could not run too well. Daramola continued to beat her, hitting her with his feet.

    “The woman later died. When he realised that he had killed her, he escaped into the bush, abandoning their matrimonial home on Ijan Road.”

    Daramola is said to be a motorcycle mechanic and often engages in farming. He is also said to be fond of going out with friends to drinking bars, neglecting his wife and children.

    Detectives from the Iworoko Police Station are said to be on the trail of Daramola, who is on the run.

    Police spokesman Mr. Victor Olu-Babayemi, who confirmed the incident, said investigation was on to get to the root of the matter.

  • Man held for ‘raping’ varsity student

    A man, who allegedly kidnapped and raped a 22-year-old female undergraduate of the University of Lagos, Akoka, for refusing to date him, has been arrested by the police.

    The suspect, Babajide Bashorun, also 22, is a dog breeder. He was said to have raped the student, took pictures of her nudity and posted them on the Internet, with the victim’s academic details.

    The Nation learnt that the victim was unaware of the development until her colleagues told her.

    The matter was reported at the Adeniji Adele Police station from where operatives moved to arrest Bashorun.

    Detectives are also hunting for two undergraduates of the university – Aje Mayowa and Babajide Ademuyiwa – both 400 level students of Architecture, for their alleged complicity.

    Narrating her ordeal, the girl (names withheld), said: “Jide came to our house to treat our dog. He asked for my Black Berry pin and phone numbers, which I gave him because I saw him as a friend. When he suddenly said he wanted to date me, I told him that I already had somebody that I love. But he insisted.

    “I deleted him from my BB and phone. I was returning home for the weekend one day, when a car drove and blocked me at Idumota bus stop. Jide was in the car. When I saw Jide, I hissed and made to walk away. He held my hand, dragged me closer and showed me a gun under the waist band of his trousers. He dragged me into the car and took me to his house. He started beating me and tore my clothes. He and his friend raped me.”

    She recounted further: “He asked me to unlock my phone. My password is my boyfriend’s name. He started beating me again because I used my boy friend’s name as my password. He gave me his phone to speak with his cultist friends. They threatened to kill me. He hit my head and back with a bottle. When he wanted to take my picture, I tried to cover my face, but he started beating me again. He took different shots. When I was bleeding, he begged me, that he didn’t know what came over him. His friend, had left.”

    “I cried. He asked me for what I would eat, I said I was not hungry. He did not allow me call my mother. I begged him to delete my nude pictures, but I guessed he didn’t. He covered my face with a shirt. In the morning, he made to get me some drugs.

    “I was surprised that the door was unlocked … I ran out. When I got home, my brother saw blood on me. I told him I had an accident and told my mother I fought with a fellow student, who used to smoke Indian hemp.”

    “When Jide discovered I had escaped, he called and said if I told anybody, he would kill me. Because he is a cult member, I didn’t. His friends also threatened me.”

    The girl’s mother said: “When Jide discovered that we had been informed of the crime, he threatened that he and his co-cultists would come to burn our house down! We couldn’t sleep. We embarked on a vigil.”

    Bashorun said: “She is my girlfriend. We fought in April and settled. I have begged her and she has forgiven me. What happened in April was that she asked me for money, that she wanted to buy I-Pad. The costs is about N100,000. She was always asking for money. And I always tried my best to satisfy her.

    “I raised about N70,000 for her. She came to my house to collect the money. I told her to desist from going to clubs for prostitution. We fought. I used floor mop to hit her back. I took her pictures, sent them to my friend, but I didn’t tell him to distribute them on the Internet.”

    Bashorun was charged to Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos lsland before Magistrate A.O Awogboro on a six-count charge of kidnapping, rape, conspiracy, attempted murder, indecent assault, and assault occasioning harm.

    He pleaded not guilty. He was granted bail with three sureties in the sum of N250, 000 each. The case was adjoined till July 10.

  • Old man and the sea

    Old man and the sea

    The Peoples Democratic Party wallows in disarray, and the party leaders strut as though it is juice rather than poison. And the major culprit is the chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, who is gaining notoriety like other oldies like the ex-military officer Jonah Jang of Plateau State and the peacock without glory from the Niger Delta, E.K. Clark. These men have wizened but are not wise. Age has become an obstacle rather than leapfrog to sagacity. They make old age look like the plague.

    The latest firestorm involves Governor Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto, and how the party leadership under Tukur decided to flush out the man from party “honour” because he played a role of conscience during the recently concluded Governors Forum election. He is accused, like his fellow traveller Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, of anti-party activity.

    Tukur on the surface has a stellar resume. He was a governor in the Second Republic of the old Gongola State. Prior to that, he was the helmsman of the Nigeria Ports Authority during the infamous Cement Armada scandal where he acquitted himself well when he decongested the ports in the Gowon era. He heads and is a member of many boards both locally and internationally. Without bagging a first degree with the toil and sweat of lucubration, he parades himself as a doctor that he acquired in the now common Nigerian fashion.

    If after all these, he decided to take a bow from public service after clocking the hoary tapestry of 70 years, he would have escaped scrutiny and soared to his maker as a man of immense stature and nobility. But he reminds one of the tragicomic protagonist in the novel Being There by Jerzy Kosinski. It is about a man who knew not much, witnessed not much, attended not much school, spoke little. Suddenly by the accident of history, he was, by wide acclaim, being touted for the presidency of the United States. It is a cautionary tale about the empty grandeur of fame and fortune, and the dizzy deceptions of democracy and capitalism.

    The climb to party leadership has brought Tukur to a pitiful pass. Two developments have led to his demystification. One, the stories of his sons, Auwal and Mahmud. The second is the crisis that has alienated the majority of governors from his own region from the party he shepherds. In the case of his sons, he exposed his lack of grace. When his son, Mahmud, became charged with involvement in a N1.2 billion rip-off of the Petroleum Support Fund Scheme, attentions turned to him. His son, many believed, benefitted from his high connections. On his own, Mahmud could not have enjoyed the high place in the world, and so when Mahmud suffered, the father also suffered. Some say he manipulated his high connection to plume his son and, vicariously, himself with oil fortune.

    This may not be fair, but that is life. But he commented later that he was not involved in his son’s story with the alleged oil subsidy scam. I thought that it was tactless. All he needed to do was stay quiet on the matter. We cannot visit the sins of the son on the father. We may say though that the blessings of the father may have foisted dubious gifts on the son.

    As for his other son, Auwal, the man wants his son to be governor. He wants to visit his blessings of many years ago on his son. He is the party chairman and that provides a conflict of interest. Why should a father want to impose his son and use the instruments of the centre that is at his beck and call to create his own dynastic fiefdom? He charges back by saying his son, Auwal, had been in politics before he ascended the party chair, and the son has a right on his own to do what is right. What is right is not always honourable. His son has a right to run for office whatever the father’s fortune. It is when honour meets right that we attain what poet John Keats goal of truth meeting beauty.

    The father should have played his role without interfering in the affairs or seeming to marshal his high office in the slugfest. We all know that he loathes the incumbent Governor, Murtala Nyaka, another clueless oldie in politics, who wants to create a dynasty by imposing his son Abdul-Aziz. On the surface again, we can say Tukur is right for wanting to challenge Nyako for trying to impose a nepotistic tyranny in the governor sweepstakes. Let the son do it and let us not see traces of your power looming from the centre. That is where again I saw that the man has wizened but is not wise. He is playing dubious messiah as though he wants to save Adamawa State from a tyrant. But he just wants to take it for himself. He is no hero.

    The affairs of his son have unveiled his iniquities like the story of the grand priest of the Bible known as Eli whose sons led him to spiritual limbo. All these acts prepared Tukur for his present malady with the governors.

    He is doing all of these because he needs the backing of the president for his special prize: governorship for his son Mahmud. The president since Obasanjo has always imposed the party candidate from the centre. He expects to play serf to Jonathan for a presidential quid pro quo in Adamawa State government House. That is the opportunism of Tukur and his lack of grace.

    His is an old man who wants to have peace even if it means his party is at sea. We all know the story of Hemingway’s classic where an old man struggles after forlorn attempts to catch a fish. After his success, he spends his last ounce of energy to drag the prey to shore. Much of the fish is gone, but he has honour and dignity – a spiritual satisfaction. The novel Old Man and the Sea has become a testament to literature and the sublimity of the human spirit.

    It is not to Tukur’s credit that he should wreck his party in order to build his own joy. It is cynical politics at best, but it exposes the worst in Nigerian politics. He is using his power in a way that reminds one of 19 the century Prussia before it became Germany and historians described it as an army with a state rather than a state with an army. It may be Tukur’s Hobbesian peace but it is PDP’s and Nigerian nightmare.

  • Man ‘murders’ father

    A sixty-five year-old man has been allegedly murdered by his son.

    The incident occurred at Umuonu Umuida Enugu Ezike in Igboeze North Local Government of Enugu State.

    The deceased’s name was given as Felix Atta; his son was identified as Ejiofor.

    Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said the victim was rushed to the General Hospital, Ogurute Enugu Ezike, where he was confirmed dead.

    He said although the son was apprehended, the police were yet to establish the motive behind the killing.

    “We have begun investigations into the killing,” said Amaraizu.The body has been deposited at the Hospital Mortuary.”

    A middle-aged man allegedly hung himself inside his room at Umuenachi Amalla Egazi in Udenu Local Government.

    It was gathered that the victim, who is said to be suffering from a partial stroke, was discovered in his room at about 7.30am on Wednesday.

    Amaraizu said investigations have begun; the body has been deposited at Prince Eze Hospital Mortuary, Obollo Afor.

  • Man arraigned for allegedly killing kid brother

    A Lokoja Magistrate’s Court yesterday arraigned a 32-year-old civil servant, Ismaila Ahmed, for allegedly killing his younger brother, Ilyasu, with a charm.

    The accused, a native of Inoziomi Quarters in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, was charged with criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide, not punishable with death, but contrary to Sections 97 and 224 of the Penal Code.

    The police First Information Report (FIR) revealed that the accused allegedly committed the offence on October 27, last year, at 6.30pm.

    Ismaila allegedly beat the deceased “with a charmed ring, leading to the collapse of his brother, who died consequently”.

    The deceased, it was learnt, was mediating in a fight between his brother and another man, Buhari Abdullahi, who is now at large.

    Ismaila pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Prosecuting police officer, Samuel Ikutanwa, urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody.

    The prosecutor said investigation into the matter was still ongoing.

    The counsel to the accused, Muazu Abbas, prayed the court to use its discretionary power to grant his client bail.

    Abbas averred that the accused, before his arraignment, was on police bail.

    The lawyer tendered a letter, reportedly written to the court by Suleiman S. Obadegba, an uncle to the deceased, of the family’s intention not to pursue the case.

    Chief Magistrate Levi Animoku granted bail to the accused with N100,000 and a reliable surety who must be resident in Lokoja.

    Animoku said the essence of the bail was to secure the attendance of the accused in court to take his trial.

    “I am sure that he will attend to his trial,” the magistrate said.

    Animoku adjourned the matter till June 13 for mention.