Butcher docked for stabbing man in stomach

For allegedly stabbing a man with a bottle and dispossessing him of his money, a 28-year-old butcher, Mustapha Awolu, on Wednesday appeared at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Awolu, a resident of Agege, Lagos, is standing trial on charges of assault and stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp. George Nwosu told the court that the accused committed the offences on Oct. 2 at Abattoir Market, Agege, Lagos.

He said that the accused unlawfully assaulted one Mr Usman Sani by stabbing him with a broken bottle on his stomach.

Nwosu said that the complainant was counting his money when the accused entered his shop, ordering him to surrender his money.

“The accused entered the complainant’s shop, commanded him to surrender all his money and threatened to kill him with the broken bottle he was holding if he refused to comply,” he said.

The prosecutor said that the accused carried the complainant’s safe box containing N30,000 and the money he was still counting.

“When the accused took the complainant’s safe box and wanted to pack the money he was counting, the complainant prevented him from taking his money.

“He (accused) stabbed him (complainant) with a bottle on his stomach and carted away all the money,” he said.

The offences, Nwosu said, contravened Sections 171 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Section 285 provides that if convicted of stealing, the accused is liable to three years imprisonment while Section 171 also prescribes a three-year jail term as penalty for assault.

The accused pleaded innocence of the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mr A.A Adesanya, adjourned the case to Oct. 24 for mention.