By Correspondent in Akure
An Akure Magistrate’s Court has ordered the remand of a 27-year-old farmer, Owalum Benedict Ochin,in a correctional facility in Ondo for allegedly beheading his friend and roommate, Ekon, during a quarrel over soup ingredients.
Benedict is facing a two-count charge of murder and attempted murder.
The prosecution told the court that defendanta also to attack one Blessing Opor with a machete after beheading Ekon.
Benedict, who he hailed from Calabar but came to Ondo State in search of job added that he was introduced to Blessing Opor and others who cultivated Indian hemp.
The prosecution added that the incident happened on November 29, 2020 at about 6:30p.m at Jungle forest, Ipele in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state.
Both friends are said to be labourers, usually engaged to cultivate Indian hemp for drug lords at the forest reserve in Ipele and stayed together after working in the farm.
Benedict, who said he killed his friend during a fracas said, “I killed my friend, Ekon, because he provoked me. We were cooking soup and he went to pluck a leaf he knew would upset my stomach and put it inside the soup."
The defendant also told investigators that he used to have stomach upset anytime he consumed the leaf allegedly added to the soup by Ekon.
Benedict said though he and Ekon went for their cutlasses and used the objects to slug it out a fierce fighting and both sustained injuries, he later had upper hand and hacked his body before striking him at the head.
Benedict also said that he packed the head inside one bag and hid it inside the bush so that his crime would not be discovered.
On why he attacked Blessing, Benedict said he was angry after killing his friend and remembered that Blessing owed him some money, adding that it was the alarm by Blessing that attracted others to the scene and led to his arrest.
The prosecutor, Insp. Uloh Goodluck, said the offences were contrary to Sections 516, 316 and punishable under Section 319(1) and 390(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State 2006.
The plea of the defendant was not taken when the charge was read to him while Blessing was said to fled from the Federal Medical Centre, Owo where he was receiving treatment.
The Presiding Magistrate, N.T. Aladejana, ordered that the defendant to be remanded, pending the outcome of legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution(DPP) and adjourned the case to Jan. 21, 2021 for hearing.
