Witness recounts how suspect allegedly killed boyfriend

ALAGOS High Court, Ikeja has been told how Edet Blessing, who is standing trial for alleged murder, stabbed her boyfriend to death. The 26-year-old defendant (Blessing) is facing one count charge of murder before Justice Taiwo.

The prosecution witness, Abayomi Ikusegbagbe, a landlord narrated to the court how his tenant, Edet Blessing, stabbed her boyfriend to death.

The suspect was said to have committed the offence on August 18, 2016 at Falana Street, Ogombo, Ajah area of Lagos at her residence.

In his evidence led by Mr. F.O Ligali, Ikusegbagbe, a cab driver, said he was in the apartment when the incident happened.

“I own the property in Ogombo, but I stay in Ifo, Ogun State. I do check on my house in Ajah once in a while and the day of the incident, I was within the area. Around 1:00a.m. I received a call from the defendant’s cotenant that the defendant had stabbed her boyfriend, Edet Ubong. I instructed them to report the matter at the police station and I also set out immediately to the scene.”

Ikusegbagbe explained that on getting to the house, he met a crowd and the defendant at the scene. “She was calling the deceased name, telling him to stand up, that it was a mistake. The deceased did not get up because he was bleeding from his stomach as a result of a knife wound.

“We got a tricycle and took him to the police station and we were asked to take him to the hospital. We took him to Onibudo Specialist hospital in Ajah. On our way to the hospital, she started speaking his language (Calabar), which only the tricycle rider understood. He gave us the deceased relatives contacts and co-workers and we put a call through to them.”

He further stated that the deceased was referred to Odan General hospital in Lagos Island. He said he went home after where he later got the information that Edet Ubong had died.

However, the defendant counsel, Femi Atteh, crossexamined him. The witness told the court that he was not present at the scene of the crime; he was only called by one of his tenants after Blessing stabbed his boyfriend.

Another prosecution witness, a police with the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID), Oladimeji Kazeem, told the court that the defendant case file was transferred to his department for investigation.

Kazeem said the defendant was brought and gave her statement voluntarily. Atteh objected that the copy of the defendant ‘s statement should not be admitted in evidence because she did not give it voluntarily.

The trial judge subsequently adjourned the matter till February 9, for trial within trial.