A 36-year-old man, Mohammed Aliu, was on Monday brought before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over allegations of assault and issuing threats to life.
Aliu is facing a two-count charge of assault and threat to life before Magistrate Leteef Layeni. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, the incident occurred on April 30 at No. 4 Dorcas Close in the Babalola area of Illogbo, Ojo.
The defendant was accused of wilfully destroying a 46-inch Infinity smart television valued at N200,000, which belonged to his mother, Mrs Blessing Emeka. He allegedly assaulted her and his siblings, identified as Blessing Emeka, Kuburat Aliu and Zainab Aliu, inflicting injuries using physical force and dangerous objects.
The mother told the court that her son is a drug addict who has been taken to rehabilitation centres several times, only to relapse. She claimed he frequently barges into her home to demand money and has threatened to kill her and his siblings.
“His behaviour gives me sleepless nights. He refuses to live a meaningful life,” she said.
When questioned, Aliu stated that he is a Chemical Engineering graduate from Bayero University, Kano. He admitted to smoking weed and said he had previously attended a rehabilitation centre in Yaba. He claimed he lived apart from his mother and only visited to collect his medication, during which he alleged that she assaulted him.
Aliu also told the court he was expecting a child, as his girlfriend was three months pregnant.
One of his siblings, Zainab Aliu, described the defendant as leading a wayward life. She claimed he had previously lied about a girlfriend’s pregnancy to extort money from their mother. She added that his repeated threats had put their lives at risk.
The alleged offences are said to contravene Sections 173 and 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The court granted Aliu bail in the sum of N300,000, with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a blood relative.
The magistrate ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre and handed over to the appropriate correctional unit.
The case was adjourned until July 28 for mention.
(NAN)