80-year-old man remanded in prison custody for murder in Ekiti

An eighty-year-old man identified as Lucas Ateniola was on Wednesday, March 29 remanded in prison custody by a chief magistrates’ court in Ado-Ekiti for allegedly murdering a woman identified as Elizabeth Nwamaka and attempting to murder a 20-year-old Alice Bodunride at their residence in Emure-Ekiti on March 24.

While being arraigned before the court, a police prosecutor, Caleb Leramo, said Ateniola and his victims were neighbours living in the same building and that the octogenarian claimed that they threatened to kill him. Leramo said in anger, Ateniola picked up a machete which he used to attack Nwakama. He cut her so deep that her intestine began to protrude from her body.

Leramo said the suspect also stabbed Alice several times when she raised an alarm which attracted neighbours to the scene to rescue her.

The prosecutor said the accused later confessed to the crime which contravenes the criminal laws of Ekiti state 2021. He prayed the court to remand the accused to a correctional centre, pending legal advice from the office of the director of the public prosecution.

The presiding magistrate, Saka Afunso, then ordered that Ateniola be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till May 11 for mention.