A 32-year-old man, Ayomide Adewale, was on Tuesday remanded in a correctional centre for allegedly causing the death of his girlfriend, Hannah Eniku.
He was said to have given Eniku a concoction with the intent to terminate her pregnancy.
The defendant was arraigned before Magistrate O.Y. Adefope at a Magistrates’ Court sitting in the Yaba area of the state by the state police command.
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased and the defendant met on Facebook and started dating in June 2022.
It was further learnt that when the deceased got pregnant for the defendant, he pleaded with her to abort the pregnancy because he was not financially stable.
In November 2022, the deceased was said to have visited the defendant in his residence at Gospel Street, Mashalashi, Alagbado, Lagos where he allegedly gave her some concoction to drink. According to the deceased’s mother, she returned home with severe stomach pain and she was rushed to the Ikorodu General Hospital where surgery was performed. She however died after the surgery.
The police prosecutor, Haruna Magaji, told the court that the defendant committed the crime on November 1, 2022, at Gospel Street, Mashalashi, Alagbado, Lagos State.
According to Magaji, the offence contravenes and is punishable under Sections 147 and 224(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
The charge read in part, “That you, Ayomide Adewale, on November 1, 2022, around 6.05pm at Gospel Street, Mashalashi, Alagbado, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District did cause the death of one Hannah Eniku by giving her concoction with intent to terminate her pregnancy and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 224(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.”
However, the defendant’s plea was not taken.
The prosecutor prayed the court to remand the defendant pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution.
Granting the request, Magistrate Adefope remanded the defendant to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending DPP advice.
Adefope also adjourned the case till May 9, 2023, for trial.
