- Faces trial in court
For allegedly pouring acid on his wife and her newly found lover, a 43-year-old jilted husband, Rabiu Shuaibu, is currently being tried before a Magistrate’s court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State.
Shuaibu was said to have been dumped by his wife, Taibat Ganiyu, who had immediately engaged in a hot romance with an estate agent in Osogbo, Aladesanmi Adegoke.
Our correspondent gathered that the accused person had made several efforts to reunite with his estranged wife, but it proved abortive.
Apparently unable to bear the agony of being jilted by a woman he loves, Shuaibu, it was learnt, had confronted his ex-wife’s new lover, Adegoke, and asked him to end the relationship with her.
But having realised that his attempts to stop his ex-wife’s romance with Adegoke had failed Shuiabu allegedly approached his 36-year-old friend, Fatai Muritala, and solicited his assistance in punishing Taibat for jilting him.
According to police prosecutor, Inspector Idoko John, Shuiabu, in company with his friend, Muritala, and armed with a substance suspected to be acid, went to the residence of his estranged wife at the Gbonmi area of Osogbo around 11:00pm and allegedly bathed her and her new lover, who had visited her, with the acid.
Shuaibu and his friend were said to have allegedly forcibly entered his estranged wife’s apartment to commit the crime.
The victims’ screams of agony were said to have drawn the attention of neighbours, who raised the alarm.
The charge sheet obtained by our correspondent in court read partly, “That you (Shuaibu and Muritala) on the 6th of April, 2016 at about 11:00pm at Ogbonni area Osogbo, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did conspire together to commit felony to wit grievous harm.
” That you (accused persons) at the same place and time, did arm yourselves with poisonous substance reasonably suspected to be acid and caused grievous bodily harm to Taibat Ganiyu and Aladesanmi Adegoke.”
Idoko had argued during the arraignment of the accused persons that they committed offences contrary to and punishable under Sections 516, 332(1) and 81 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2003.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge and their counsel, S. Abiona, had applied for their bail.
Magistrate Habitat Basiru had released the accused persons on bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like amount.
When the matter came up last week, the court continued hearing on the case with the presentation of one of the victims, Adegoke, as a witness.
Adegoke showed to the court scars from the injuries inflicted on him due to the acid attack, saying that he and Shuaibu’s estranged wife, Taibat, were recently discharged from the hospital, where they had received treatment.
The case was adjourned till September 13 for continuation of hearing.
