Court remands 20-year-old cultist for killing security guard

An Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court has ordered the prison remand of a 20-year-old suspected cult member, Taiye Ajayi, for the murder of a security guard, Meshack Ekpenyong.

The magistrate, Mrs. Bola Folarin-Williams, said Ajayi should be remanded for the first 30 days permitted by law pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Our correspondent learnt that Ekpenyong was slit in the throat at Ago-Owu Street, Ilaje in the Bariga area of Lagos State, while on a visit to his mother.

He was said to have died from his injuries.

It was learnt that the victim and his wife, Kudirat, lived in the Ibafo, Ogun State, where he worked as a security guard in a private company.

He had, however, gone to see a friend who also lived in the Ilaje neighbourhood when some suspected members of the Eiye Confraternity attacked him.

Around 8pm, Kudirat was said to have received a telephone call from an unknown person, who informed her that her husband had died.

During the course of investigation, policemen from the State Department of Criminal Investigations arrested Ajayi, who reportedly was among those who perpetrated the act.

The Investigating Police Officer, Bamidele Olusegun, in a remand application brought before the court, said although the suspect had yet to confess to the crime, he was identified by a witness, while fingerprint evidence was against him.

He arraigned the suspect on four counts of murder and belonging to an unlawful society.

The charges read in part, “That you, Taiye Ajayi, and others at large, on July 25, 2015, at about 7am at Ago-owu Street, Ilaje, Bariga, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit; murder….”

The police prosecutor, Inspector Victor Eruada, said the offences were punishable under sections 231, 221, 41 and 42 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The defendant’s plea was not taken for the offences. Erudada urged the court to remand him in prison custody pending legal advice from the DPP. .

The magistrate subsequently remanded the defendant in prison custody. punch