Alleged murder: Lagos State Govt rejects plea bargain of chef

The prosecution team of the Lagos State Government has rejected the plea bargain agreement proposed by Joshua Usulor, a 21-year-old chef, who allegedly killed a lawyer at the Citiheights Hotel, Opebi, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during Usulor’s trial for murder on Monday at an Ikeja Special Offences Court, the prosecution counsel, O.A Bajulaiye-Bishi, informed the court that the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution has rejected the agreement.

“My lord, the defendant through his counsel Mr Spurgeon Ataene had applied for a plea bargain agreement proposing a sentence of 25-years imprisonment.

“Unfortunately, the plea bargain agreement has been rejected and we will proceed with the trial,” Bajulaiye-Bishi said.

The prosecutor informed the court that the Investigating Police Officer in the case, Insp John Babalola was however unavailable to continue his testimony.

“The IPO is not around, he is on an official assignment, on the next adjourned date, he will continue his evidence,” she said.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until April 28 for continuation of trial.

NAN reports that the prosecution alleged that Usulor a resident of No. 30, Fadiya St., Ketu, Lagos had on Jan. 26, 2019, murdered Mrs Feyisayo Obot, 34, an Abuja-based mother of two in the room she had lodged in at the Citiheights Hotel.

Usulor who was also a lodger in the hotel had allegedly gone into Obot’s room to rob her in order to offset his outstanding hotel bills.

The defendant allegedly murdered the lawyer during the robbery by slitting her throat.

Obot an employee of an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation called Save the Children, was in Lagos for a few days to write a project management examination.

She was allegedly killed on the day she was due to checkout of the hotel.

Usulor faces a charge of murder, contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.

The law prescribes a death sentence for any individual found guilty of the offence.

The witnesses who have testified so far for the prosecution are – the hotel receptionist, Ms Lateefat Adebayo, the hotel Operations Manager, Mr Olabanji Ibitunde, the brother of the deceased, Mr Ige Afolabi and the IPO.