A 40-year-old driver, Azeez Ali, was on Wednesday brought before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly impersonating a naval officer and stabbing a man’s manhood with a knife.
Ali, a resident of Ikotun area of Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of impersonating members of the armed forces and assault occasioning harm.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Oriabure, told the court that the defendant committed the offences at 7 a.m. on March 14, at Berger Bus Stop in Bariga area of Lagos.
He said that the defendant, while driving his bus, was halted by the complainant, Mr. Sunday Amoo, and asked to pay some money for picking passengers at that bus stop.
Oriabure said that when the defendant refused to pay, it resulted in an argument and he brought out an army jack knife from his belt, and threatened as a navy officer, to kill Amoo.
He told the court that Ali stabbed the complainant on his manhood with the knife and it resulted in a serious injury.
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“My lord, the complainant had to go to the hospital and stitch his penis; it was a serious injury,” he said.
Oriabure further stated that it was when the police arrived at the scene and asked the defendant for his navy identification card that it was discovered that he was not a naval personnel.
He said the offences contravened Sections 77 and 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that both offences of impersonating members of armed forces and assault occasioning harm carried three years imprisonment each.
In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs. S.O. Obasa, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000, with two sureties in like sum.
She said that both sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and have their addresses verified by the court.
Obasa adjourned the case until April 20 for mention.
