One Godwin Elewana was weekend arraigned before a Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar for allegedly killing and burying a 22-year-old man, Douglas Ojugbo, whom he accused of having an affair with his daughter.
The prosecution counsel, Amaja Eneji, told the court that in March 2015, the accused chased the late Douglas upon sighting him from a distance of about a kilometer to the gate of the Cross River Basin Development Authority where he shot him on the leg and arm.
The prosecutor, who described the accused as ‘a dangerous man,’ added that after the victim died, Elewana took the corpse to the Federal Housing Police Station where he allegedly connived with the DPO to bury the deceased at the Goldie cemetery.
But the deceased’s father in a petition to the Zone 6 command of the Nigeria Police Force, argued that the late Douglas was not having an affair with the accused daughter.
The petition hinted that the deceased only wanted to collect the balance of his Mini laptop he had sold earlier to her.
Tendering evidence, the prosecutor showed the license of the double barreled gun used in shooting the deceased expired in 2013, about 2 years before the incident.
Also tendered in evidence were two expended cartridges, one machete, a double barreled gun and five pellets recovered from the body of the deceased following an autopsy carried out.
“No civilian has the right to take the life of another,” the prosecutor said, praying the Court to critically assess the matter with a view to delivering judgement.
However, Defense Counsel, Clement Ukaegbu, told the Court that the wife of the accused had filed for an out of court settlement.
In his ruling, Justice Ukpa Ebitham said the matter will not be allowed to proceed beyond 2 weeks as it was a case of alleged murder.
Judge Ebitham ordered that the accused, of River Basin Authority, 8 Miles Calabar, be remanded at the Afokang Prisons.
He adjourned the matter till February 27 for further hearing.
