The Police intelligence team at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, has arrested a 35-year old man, Elkana Lawrence, for allegedly butchering a 5-year old boy, Ope Omowaye, for an undisclosed purpose in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Guinness Street, Agege area of Lagos.
The motive behind the dastardly act was not disclosed by the Police at Isokoko Division, who first got the intelligence of the gruesome murder of late Omowaye and moved into action.
The suspect was arrested and the pieces of the severed corpse of the victim were recovered and deposited in the mortuary for autopsy report.
The Police then transferred him to the SCID for further investigation over the conduct.
After thorough interrogation, the Police found the suspect, Lawrence, culpable for homicide by unlawfully killing the victim and consequently charged him before the Yaba Magistrates Court for murder.
The alleged offence contravened Section 22 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment if he is tried and found guilty before Court.
However, when he was arraigned, the Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the Prosecutor, Supol Rita Momah, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice since it was a capital offence.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Adeola Olatunbosun, ordered his remand in custody at Correctional Centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when the DPP’s report will be ready while he directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not for trial over jurisdiction.
However, the matter may likely be transferred to the High Court if the DPP report finds him culpable and recommends his trial for murder.