Four men have been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court in Tinubu for attempted murder of Ibidunni Ighodalo, the wife of Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House Church.
Police charged the three men – a 24-year-old dog-handler Abdulkareem Mohammed, a 36-year-old herbalist Akeem Makinde-Ewuosi and a 29-year-old guard Paul Eke – before the court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempted murder.
The prosecutor, Chidi Okoye, told the court that the three men, who all reside on Lagos Island, attempted to murder the victim with the same poisonous substance which they used to poison the pastor’s four-month-old dog, Simba, sometime between January 28 and February 10, 2015 at 4b Ogun Street, Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to Okoye, the first defendant, who allegedly had sexual fantasies towards Mrs Ighodalo, planned to kill her husband after killing the dog, so that the affection she has for her husband and the dog will be transferred to him. Mrs Ighodalo is an ex- beauty queen.
The defendants were later apprehended after Mrs. Ighodalo said she “prayed and the Holy Spirit revealed” to her that something was wrong.
When the defendants were confronted with the allegation, they confessed to have poisoned the dog and that they were also planning to getting rid of her.
The prosecutor further told the court that the first defendant claimed that he got a black soap and powder from the herbalist who asked him to buy a sponge, bath with it and throw it into the river.
He added that the native doctor had assured Mohammed that after the bath he would be able to demand for N10m and any other thing he wanted from Mrs Ighodalo and she would give them to him.
The offences, Okoye said, are contrary to Section 409 and punishable under Sections 228 (1) (2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
The defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges and were granted bail by Magistrate A. O Awogboro to the tune of N500,000 each, with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned to March 18, 2015.
