An
Ikeja High Court, Lagos, sentenced a 27-year-old woman, Chiamaka
Nnajiofor, to 10 years of imprisonment for her culpability in the death
of her housekeeper, Oliver Arakwe.
Justice
Lateefat Okunnu convicted Nnajiofor for the offence of manslaughter
instead of the charge of murder preferred against her. The decision has
been announced on October 28, 2013, Monday.
According
to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the sentence is to commence from
22 September, 2011, when she was first arraigned.
Nnajiofor
and her husband, Elochukwu, 41, were charged to court by the Lagos
State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on charge of murder, and pleaded not guilty.
However,
the DPP revealed the couple tortured their 14-year-old Arakwe to death
on 17 August, 2010 at 81, Femi Tella Street, Ago Palace Way, Okota, a
Lagos suburb.
In
her judgment, Justice Okunnu discharged and acquitted Elochukwu because
the prosecution led by Mr. Femi Adamson, had failed to connect him with
the alleged crime. The evidential burden against the husband of the
convicted murderer was very weak.
“There
is nothing to show that he was part of the flogging his wife instigated
that day, and available evidence indicated that he was not in the
apartment when it happened.
“The prosecution also failed to prove the charge of murder against Chiamaka beyond reasonable doubts.
“Oliver
was a severely malnourished boy and the pounding of the boy with a belt
would have had a lesser effect on a normal 14-year-old.
“It is on this basis that I find Chiamaka, the first defendant, not guilty of murder. I find her guilty of manslaughter.
“The second defendant, Elochukwu, is discharged and acquitted.” READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/50824.html
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