An Igbosere High Court in Lagos was told on Monday that three truck conductors murdered one Nse-Obong Idodo for allegedly stealing a phone.
The court heard that the men, Bashiru Salami, Omokehinde Abdulatif and Ibrahim Ajibola tied up the victim with a rope and beat him until he died.
The first Prosecution Witness, ASP. Roland Ayeme, disclosed this while giving evidence in the trial of the three truck conductors.
They are on trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder, preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.
At the resumed hearing, Ayeme who was led in evidence by the Lagos State Counsel, Mr. Babatunde Sunmonu, informed that the case was transferred to him at the Port Criminal Investigation Department, Apapa from the Apapa Police Division.
According to him, the incident happened on June 7, 2016 at about 2.00 a.m. at Sand Field in Tin Can Island, Apapa.
Ayeme said that when he visited the scene on June 8, 2016 with his team, the Divisional Police Officer had already deposited the corpse of the deceased at Mainland Hospital in Apapa, adding that there were blood stains at the scene.
He said that during investigation, it was discovered that the deceased was tied up with a rope and beaten to death.
According to him, a principal witness, one Garuba Ejo, who witnessed the incident gave the details to the police.
Ayeme said that Ejo, a trailer driver, told the police that while he was taking his trailer to Mile 2, he saw the second defendant (Abdulatif) raise alarm that his Techno second hand phone was stolen by the deceased.
He said the first and third defendants rushed out, dragged the deceased to the other side of the road and beat him to death.
The prosecution witness said that Ejo also told the police that an elderly man who tried to stop the defendants from beating the deceased was chased away with clubs and axes.
Ayeme explained that Ejo said he could not go there because it was dark, adding that he was afraid of confronting the defendants.
The witness was cross- examined by the defendants’ lawyers, Mr. Damilola Olaofe, Mrs. Pamela Okoro-Igwe and Mr. Olarenwaju Mabawonku.
After listening to the evidence, Justice Adedayo Akintoye, adjourned the case until Nov.11 for continuation of trial.
The three men, who were arraigned sometime in December, 2017, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
