BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A 19-year-old-boy, Ganiyu Rokeeb, has been arrested by men of the Osun State Police Command for allegedly stabbing his friend in the eye over the alleged damage of a telephone charger.
Rokeeb was said to have visited his friend, Kehinde Adejumo, at Bara Ojoro junction, Ede in Ede North Local Government Area of the state, when a disagreement ensued.
The suspect accused Adejumo of spoiling the cord of his phone charger which he had lent him.
“We fought because Kehinde (Adejumo) refused to replace the cord of my phone charger that I lent him. I injured him and he also injured me,” Rokeeb, who sustained injuries on his head and hands, said in an interview with The Point.
After concluding the investigation, the police arraigned him at an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court on the allegation that he stabbed Kehinde in the left eye with a broken tile, thereby blinding him.
The charge brought against him read that “You, Ganiyu Rokeeb, on May 3, 2022, at about 5:30pm at Bara Ojoro junction, Ede, in the Ede Magisterial District, did unlawfully attempt to kill one Adejumo Kehinde by stabbing him in three places on his face with broken tiles that affected the left eye.
“You (defendant), on the same date and time, did unlawfully stab one Adejumo Kehinde in three places on his face that affected the left eye and caused the left eye to go blind, and also caused it deep cut.
“You did unlawfully assault one Adejumo Kehinde by stabbing him in three places on his face and did him harm and also affected his left eye that led to blindness.”
Police prosecutor, Inspector Sunday Asanbe, stated that the accused teenager committed offences contrary to and punishable under sections 320, 335 and 355(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2023.
Rokeeb, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defence counsel, Kehinde Adepoju, urged the court to grant him bail on liberal grounds. Asanbe objected to the bail application, saying that the victim was still on hospital bed and that the defendant may abuse the bail privilege if granted.
Magistrate I. R. Ladipo overruled the prosecutor’s objection and granted the boy bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in the same amount.
Ladipo said that the sureties must be living within the jurisdiction of the court and their addresses must be verified by court officials.
The case was adjourned till June 6 for hearing.
