Kwara man arraigned in court for hacking his neighbour's two-year-old son during a domestic brawl

A 32-year-old commercial driver, Idowu Ali, has been remanded in the Oke-Kura Custodial Centre, Ilorin, Kwara State, for allegedly hacking a two-year-old boy, Godwin Ifeanyi, during a fight with his parents in their compound in the Oja Oba area of the state capital, Ilorin, on June 14.

 Ali was arrested and arraigned before an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court over offences bordering on criminal trespass, causing of grievous harm and attempted culpable homicide. 

 The offences, according to the prosecution, are punishable under sections 348, 248 and 229 of the Penal Code Law of Kwara State. 

 A First Information Report presented in court stated that; “On June 14, 2022, around 2.16pm, the case was transferred from the divisional police headquarters ‘C’ Division, Oja Oba, Ilorin, Kwara State, to the Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation. 

 That on June 8, at 10am, one Emmanuel Ifeanyi, reported at the ‘C’ Division Police Station, Ilorin, that on June 7, 2022, around 11.15pm, he was with his family sleeping at the corridor of his house, which is upstairs, when suddenly one Idowu Ali, climbed upstairs to challenge him over a domestic matter and left in anger, only to return a few minutes after with a cutlass in his hand and forcefully kicked the door of his house open and with the cutlass in his hand, approached him and his family. 

 The said Idowu Ali, who aimed to behead Godwin Ifeanyi, the complainant’s son, incidentally cut the leg and almost severed the leg from the ankle of Godwin Ifeanyi, aged two and half years old, who was sleeping on the floor. 

 Emmanuel Ifeanyi further stated that while he was trying to collect the cutlass from the said Idowu Ali to prevent him from further harming his family members, Idowu Ali used the cutlass to attack him and cut his right thumb. Immediate police action led to the arrest of Idowu Ali. 

 Investigation conducted at the CID, Ilorin, revealed that the genesis of this incident was that the son of Idowu Ali, Alameen, 10, was beating one Munachi, the son of Emmanuel Ifeanyi, and this degenerated into a misunderstanding between both parents. 

 During a discreet investigation, you, Idowu Ali, confessed that your wife called you on phone that Emmanuel Ifeanyi, popularly called Baba Ibo, and his wife were beating her and you told your wife to wait till you return from work in the evening. 

 When you returned from work in the night, you forcefully trespassed and kicked the door of Emmanuel Ifeanyi, aka Baba Ibo’s house open, and challenged him as to why he and his wife beat your wife and that Baba Ibo pushed you, which made you return to your house to pick your cutlass and went back to Baba Ibo’s house with the cutlass and severed Godwin Ifeanyi’s right leg from the ankle.” 

 When the case first came to the court for hearing on June 17, 2022, his lawyer, G. T. Olumo, filed a motion seeking the release of the accused person on bail. 

However, the magistrate, Mr I.A. Dasuki, demanded the condition of the child, who was admitted to a hospital. Counsel for the victim’s family, Onwa Ifeanyi, said parents of the victim had been approaching individuals and the Igbo community for financial support to treat their child. 

 The counsel said the state Ministry of Justice had also filed a charge against the accused before the state High Court. The court adjourned the matter till August 29, 2022, for hearing.