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| A well used to illustrate the story |
Landlady Cecilia Idowu of Ondo is charged with murdering her tenant in Akure and hiding his body inside a well.
Mrs Idowu, 55, was accused of murdering Stephen Haruna when she was hauled before the Akure Division of the Chief Magistrates' Court.
The defendant was charged with two counts of conspiracy and murder by the personnel of the Ondo Police Command.
Simon Wada, the police prosecutor, informed the Chief Magistrates that the event happened at around 10:00 p.m. in the Oke-Igbala neighbourhood of Okeagbe Akoko in Akoko North-East LGA, Ondo.
According to Mr Wada, the suspect coordinated the crime with fugitive accomplices.
He claims that the crime violates sections 516 and 316 of the Ondo State Criminal Code Law of 2022.
He explained that an investigation by the police revealed that the suspect first gave Mr Haruna portions of ‘palm oil’ to drink, thereby resulting in his death.
“My Lord, the woman (landlady) and the deceased were the only occupants of the house and she confessed to seeing him when he returned home by 10:00 p.m.
“A calabash filled with palm oil was found in the woman’s apartment,” the police prosecutor told the court.
Mr Wada added that the corpse of the deceased was exhumed from the well after the suspect pointed to where his body was deposited.
“The woman even had to invite some persons to assist her in throwing Stephen’s corpse inside the well in her compound,” he added.
The police prosecutor noted that an autopsy carried out on the victim’s corpse revealed that he died after consuming excess palm oil.
He, however, urged the court to remand the suspect at the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Olokuta in Akure, pending advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
But, Adedeji Adedire, a counsel to the defendant, prayed to the court for an adjournment to enable him to file a counter affidavit to the application sought by the prosecutor.
After much argument from the prosecutor and the defence counsel, Chief Magistrate Musa Al-Yunnus adjourned the case till October 31, for ruling on the remand application.