A Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has discharged and acquitted a housewife, Mary Alilu, who four years ago was accused of murdering her husband, Kingsley Perewe, by cutting his neck and head.
Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay cleared the housewife of the one-count charge of murder in suit Number LD/5944C/17.
Mrs Alilu spent over four years in detention undergoing trial since she was arraigned for the alleged offence by the Lagos State Government on November 12, 2018.
According to the prosecutors, Adeshola Adekunle-Bello and Titi Olanrewaju-Daud, the defendant was believed to have killed Perewe “by cutting him on his neck and head with a knife” on or about January 27, 2017 around 11:40 pm at No. 111, Abukuru Street, Ajegunle, Lagos. The alleged offence was said to have contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, but the defendant had pleaded not guilty and the trial commenced.
The prosecution called three witnesses including the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) before closing its case. It urged the court to convict and sentence Alilu accordingly.
Alilu opened her defence by giving evidence and also called two other witnesses. Defence counsel, O. J. Akinwale, raised two issues for determination of the case, namely whether the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and whether exhibits tendered by the prosecution was admissible or ought to be expunged.
In setting Alilu free, Justice Nicol-Clay agreed with both parties that the fact that the defendant died was not in contention. She however noted, among other things, that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses (PWs) 1 and 2 were contradictory, thus, “fatal to the case of the prosecution,” as stated in the 2017 case of Hassan vs State.
The judge also noted the prosecution’s failure to link the alleged murder weapon with the defendant or the deceased. Justice Nicol-Clay observed that although PW 3 (IPO) claimed that the defendant killed the deceased with a knife, the purported knife was not sent for forensic examination.
“He (PW3) could not tell whether the blood was that of the deceased,” the judge said, adding that there was no nexus between the knife and the defendant.
PW1 and 2 had testified that Alilu killed her husband, but dismissing their evidence, the court observed that the duo, not being medical practitioners, cannot prove cause of death.
Justice Nicol-Clay held: “There is no direct evidence (linking the defendant to the alleged crime), the evidence of the prosecution witnesses are not cogent and compelling enough; there is so much doubt in this case.”
As for the wounds on the deceased’s neck and head, she said: “There is no evidence that no other sharp object could have caused the injury on the deceased. The defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted.”
