22nd May, 2019
By Paul Iyoghojie
A 31-year-old Romanian, George Soare has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly inviting three men who claimed to be soldiers to help him torture his co-tenant, Igho Oghenenruno over an alleged disagreement with his wife.
The soldiers inflicted severe injury all over the woman’s body with blood gushing out.
The accused, who resides with the complainant at Falilat Shomade Street, Igbukushu Community, Lekki was arrested by the police at the Ilasan Division, Lekki, Lagos.
A Police source alleged that troubled started for the Romanian when a concerned resident in the area sent a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ilasan Division, Lekki, CSP Onyinye Onunmaegbu that three men who claimed to be soldiers were torturing a lady in the area.
Following the report, Onwuamaegbu dispatched her team led by inspector Abe Leonard to the scene to arrest the suspects, but before the police got to the scene, the suspects had escaped and the police arrested the Romanian.
Narrating her ordeals to the police, Ogheinervno allegedly stated. “I was in my corridor when the wife of the Romanian, Bukola suddenly poured smelling water on my body and I did not respond. I was shocked when three men who claimed to be soldiers later came to descend on me with a military belt and horsewhips and inflicted injuries all over my body and stripped me naked, accusing me of abusing their boss’ wife.
“I am now appealing to the Nigerian government to help me to get justice because the Romanian can not torture a woman in his country the way he maltreated me.”
During the investigation, according to a police source, George allegedly admitted that he only invited the soldiers to help him to make peace between his wife and the complainant and not to torture her.
When asked if it was soldiers he normally calls in his home country to settle domestic matters, he could not give a satisfactory answer.
George was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate Court on a three-count of unlawful assault occasioning bodily harm and stealing phone valued N65,000.
Police counsel, Inspector Okete Ejime said in charge No: U/35/2019 that the offences the Romanian committed were punishable under sections 411, 245 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2019.
The accused, however, pleaded, not guilty to the alleged offences in the court and Magistrate M.A. Agbeje granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Agbeje adjourned the case till 30 May 2019 for trial and ordered that the defendant be kept at the Ikoyi Prison Lagos till he perfected the bail conditions