Wife, siblings arraigned for allegedly beating husband to coma

Operatives of the Zone 2 Command, Lagos, Nigeria have arrested a housewife, Nabuk Maddalene Afanideh, 36, brother, Alexander Steve, 42, and sister, Roseline Sotola, 39, and charged them before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly conniving to beat her husband, Mr. Jacob Daniel Ofam to coma.

Ofam was allegedly hit with an iron rod on his forehead for refusing to pay her wife an undisclosed sum of money she allegedly lent him to transact business.

Police alleged that the incident occurred on 20 May 2023 at the couple’s residence at the Iba New Site area of Lagos when Afanideh allegedly invited her siblings to come to her house and plead with her husband to pay her the money.

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Police alleged that when the siblings arrived at their sister’s residence, they allegedly pulled down the couple’s door to gain access into the apartment, descended on the complainant, beat him to a coma with an iron rod and escaped.

Police further alleged that neighbours later rushed the complainant to the hospital where he was revived and currently receiving treatment.

Police alleged that following the incident, the complainant petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone 2 Command, Ali Mohammed who directed his crack team to fish out the defendants anywhere they might be hiding.

The police team tracked and arrested the defendants at their hideout and charged them before the Igbosere Magistrate’s court, sitting at Yaba Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge bordering on assault, occasioning bodily harm and malicious damage.

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Police prosecuting counsel, ASP Steve Molo told the court that the wife of the complainant connived with her siblings to beat her husband to coma after allegedly hitting an iron rod on his forehead for allegedly refusing to pay her back the money she allegedly lent him to transact business.

Molo said the offences the defendants committed were punishable under Section 411, 350, 168(d) and 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and their counsel Barr. Anayo Agbo prayed to the court to grant the defendants bail in the most liberal terms promising that they would not jump bail if granted.

The Presiding Magistrate granted them N100,000 bail each with one surety each in like sum and adjourned the case.

The Magistrate, however, directed that the defendants be detained at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Correctional Facilities till they perfected the bail conditions.