26th June, 2015
Cyriacus Izuekwe
A 40-year old man, Ikechukwu Offor has been arrested and charged before Magistrate’s Court, Ejigbo, for allegedly beating up his 71-year-old mother, Justina Offor, over his missing phone.
The Abia State-born Ikechukwu lost his phone after being heavily drunk and returned home to accuse his mother of misplacing the phone.
Before Justina could respond to the accusation, he allegedly grabbed her and rained blows on her.
He further took a wall mirror and smashed it on his mother’s head.
The elder sister, Ijeoma Offor, was not also spared as she attempted to rescue their mother. She was severely battered by Ikechukwu during the assault on Justina.
The incident happened at 20, Orilowi Street, Abaranje, Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos, western Nigeria, where they reside.
The matter was reported to the police and he was arrested and taken to the station.
At the police station, he told the police that his mother must have taken the phone when he was sleeping.
He was charged to court with assault under the Criminal Code. He pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr Peter Nwaka granted him bail in the sum of N20,000 with two sureties in like sum.
He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail.
The matter was adjourned till 29 July, 2015.
None of his relations showed up to bail him at the court.
According to the embittered mother, that was not the first time Ikechukwu was beating her, adding that he also beat up his father when the man was alive.
Justina said due to the behaviour of Ikechukwu, her husband was traumatized and had complications which caused his death recently.
She lamented that the family had opened businesses for him but they all failed, adding that they also procured a visa to enable him travel abroad. This also did not yield any fruit as he declined to travel.