A man, Sunday Emmanuel, has been arrested and charged for allegedly using a cutlass to kill his 35-year old wife, Linda and macheting his 3-year old son, Sunday, who narrowly escaped death following a disagreement over money in Ondo State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 7th October, 2024 by 5:30 pm, at Ogbeni Camp, Ofosu in Idanre Local Government area of Ondo State.
He has been remanded at the Segede correctional facility on the order by the Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, over the dastardly act.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Olateju Odenusi-Fadeyi, who did not take the plea of the defendant, ordered his remand at the correctional facility in Ondo town, pending advice from the Department of Public Prosecutions, DPP, in the Ondo State Ministry of Justice.
She also directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the Department of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
The prosecutor, Inspector Josephine Awanna, had earlier told the Court that the defendant committed the offence by macheting his wife on the neck and cheek and his son on the head with intention to kill and in the process, the boy sustained a life-threatening injury.
The prosecutor stated that Police investigation revealed that the incident happened when the defendant and the deceased had a dispute about what to do with their annual wages .The argument got heated up and the man entered the room, took a machete and allegedly cut his wife to death.
Part of the charges read:
“That you, Sunday Emmanuel, m, on October 7, 2004, at about 5:30 at Ogbeni Camp via Ofosu, in the Ondo Magistraterial District, did unlawfully kill one Linda Emmanuel, 35, by macheting her on the neck and cheek and hereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ondo State, 2006.”
“That you, Sunday Emmanuel, on the same date, time and place, unlawfully attempted with the intention to kill your son, aged 3, by macheting him on the head.”
The offences, according to the charge, contravened Sections 319 (1) and 320(1) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
However, the plea of the defendant was not taken when he was arraigned.
The prosecution prayed the Court to remand the defendant in the correctional facility pending advice from the DPP due to the nature of the alleged offence.
The Court ordered the remand of the defendant pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
The matter was adjourned till 2nd February, 2025, for mention for the DPP’s report to be available.