MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 24-Year old man, Israel Sunday, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for engaging a 25-year old sex worker, Akpo Peace, in sex in a hotel and attempting to kill her for money rituals before she was rescued.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 27th December, 2024, at Victoria Continental Hotels located at 135 Akowonjo Road Akowonjo, Lagos.
The suspect was said to be armed with a knife, did tie the victim, Peace, with twine rope on her hands and legs, selotaped her mouth and attempted to kill her.
According to the Police, the suspect met the victim in the hotel and negotiated for sex romp. They agreed for N30,000 and lodged in a room.
While in the room, the suspect bought food, which the victim suspected to have been tempered with and she refused to eat. At midnight, he woke her up, beat her mercilessly after he covered her mouth with sellotape, tied her hands and legs and had a knife, with which he intended to kill her.
However, the victim was lucky; before he would kill her, the hotel management knocked and forced him to open the door. They saw the victim tied up on both legs and hands with sellotape covering her mouth. The victim was rescued and the Police at Shasha Division were contacted. He was arrested and detained at the station for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
During the interrogation, the Police discovered that he actually wanted to kill the victim. They then recovered the knife, rope, other dangerous weapons as exhibits and consequently charged him before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.
The charges read:
“That you, Israel Sunday ‘m’ on the same date, time and place armed with a knife did threaten to kill one Akpo Peace ‘F’ and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 56 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Israel Sunday ‘M’ on the Same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Akpo Peace ‘F’ by beating her with your hands and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 172 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, the Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned after the prosecutor, Inspector Simeon Njue, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice because of the nature of the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. T. A. Popoola, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned till 30th January, 2025, for the report of the DPP’s advice to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Police did not spare the victim as the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Ojajuni Adeleke, ordered the victim, Akpo Peace, to be arraigned before the same Ejigbo Magistrate Court for allegedly engaging in commercial sex with one Israel Sunday and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 142 (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
She pleaded not guilty.
She was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 30th January, 2025, for mention.