Man Hack n Chopped Wife To Death

A Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.I. Adelaja, ordered that the Ibadan, Oyo State indigene, be remanded pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

The Lagos State Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ebute-Meta has ordered the remand of 36-year-old Shakiru Bello in custody for allegedly killing his wife, Sherifat, in the Somolu area of the state.

Shakiru and Sherifat, who were married for more than nine years, separated sometime in July 2016.

He was reported to have secretly reconciled with her and was constantly communicating with her on the telephone.

Penultimate Monday, the suspect allegedly invited Sherifat to a location to collect money for the upkeep of their three children.

She, however, did not return home alive.

The police arrested the suspect in Ibadan, where he reportedly fled to after the incident.

He allegedly led detectives from the Ijora Badia Police Division to two uncompleted buildings in the Yaba and Somolu areas of Lagos, where the remains of late Sherifat were recovered in different sacks.

The matter was transferred to the Area B Police Command, from where it was referred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

Hundreds of residents and family members of the victims besieged the court premises for the proceeding.

Operatives of the Homicide Section, SCIID, led by the Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Chris Akpanomo, told the court that although no weapon was recovered from the suspect, he made confessional statements to the police.

He added that there was also fingerprint evidence against Shakiru.

The police arraigned him on two counts of murder.

The charges read, “That you, Shakiru Bello, on February 17, 2017, at about 2pm, on Olaleye Street, Somolu, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did kill one Sherifat Bello, aged 37, by hacking her with a cutlass, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you did, without lawful justification or excuse, dismember the remains of one Sherifat Atanda Bello,   thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The defendant’s plea was not taken, just as he did not have any legal representation.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Chinalu Uwadione, prayed the court to remand Shakiru, citing Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

 “We want the defendant remanded pending the conclusion of investigation into the case and the release of legal advice from the DPP,” he added.

The chief magistrate upheld the application and ruled that the case be adjourned till March 17, 2017.