Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2013
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Police in Lagos hunt for man, 27, that murdered lover By UJU MBANUSI
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•The deceased... Bianca Ndidi Okoye
OMICIDE detectives at the Lagos State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos have spread their dragnet in search of one Victor Chukwuemeka Jewel Udenze, 27 from Urunebo village, Enugu- Ukwu, Anambra State in connection with the murder of a 35 -year-old woman, Bianca Ndidi Okoye at the deceased residence at Lakwe phase 2, Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State. The suspect was alleged to have murdered his lover after a hot argument inside her apartment on the 10th of May, 2013. Elder brother to the deceased, Emeka Okoye, told Crime Alert that in a desperate move to cover his act, the suspect went away with the deceased phones, laptop, documents and disconnected every link between him and the deceased on facebook. Narrating the circumstances that surrounded the death of their sister on behalf of members of the deceased family, her brother said, “that fateful night on the 10th of May, 2013, our sister, a mother of two from Ogidi, Anambra state, returned to her apartment in the company of Victor, a male friend whom she had been seeing for some time before the incident. Both of them went into the deceased bedroom. Before she slept off that night, the deceased teenage daughter identified as Onyinye said she heard noise and exchange of threats be-
tween her mother and Victor but did not enter the bedroom, as she thought it was some private matter that would be resolved amicably, after which she slept off. Their neighbours also reported that they heard Bianca’s shouts at night but did not enter her apartment as they equally did not envisage it would lead to her death. “It was in the morning of the next day 11th of May, 2013, that one of the neighbours asked the deceased children after their mother, to which the children said she was still asleep. The fact of Bianca’s death however dawned on them, when her children were begging their neighbours for money to enable them eat.
Begging for money Their neighbour’s suspicion was compounded when the children further told them that they were begging for money because their mother had been sleeping since morning. This prompted them to go over to the deceased apartment, and opened her door, only to see Bianca lying on the bed, stone dead. The neighbours said they tried contacting us but apart from her children living with her, they did not know any of us. However, one of them identified as Philiper saved the day because she has the GSM number of one of Bianca’s friends identified as Chioma.
She contacted her and she in turn was asked to contact any of us to come and carry her body. That was how we were able to know what happened and when we came, we discovered that her killer was on the run.” Speaking with Crime Alert, Chioma said she could not believe what she heard, because it sounded like a rude joke. This made her to place a call across to the suspect, as she has his phone number. According to her, immediately the suspect picked her call, he asked if any of her friends had called her. She reportedly asked him why he was asking such question and he said it had to do with the deceased, whom he had problems with. In shock, Chioma shouted, “so it is true you have killed Bianca, you will pay for it”, and at that, the suspect switched off his phone. Crime Alert learnt that the case was reported at Elemero Police Station, and policemen came from the station and took the remains of the deceased away. Autopsy carried out on Bianca’s remains revealed that she died as a result of strangulation. The family of the deceased, however, told the police that a few days after the incident, the deceased documents were seen littered on a street in Enugu. It was also gathered that Bianca Ndidi Okoye was married, but separated from her husband as at the time she was killed.
•On the run...Victor Chukwuemeka Jewel Udenze
BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE
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N Ojo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, has sentenced a 20-year- old unemployed youth, Eze Chukwudi, to 12 months imprisonment at the Ikoyi Prison, over burglary and N43, 400 theft. The Magistrate, Mr Taslimi Shomade, sentenced the convict, who pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of burglary and theft, with an option of N43, 000 fine. According to the prosecutor, ASP Godwin Eze, the convict committed the offences on May 21, at Alhaji Gafaru Community, Imude town in Ojo, Lagos. “The convict broke and entered into the house of one Mr Samuel Ikechukwu to steal his Nokia and Blackberry phone alongside his cash all totaling N43, 400”. Eze said. He told the court that the convict was caught in the act and was taken to the police station. The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 285 and 306 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. Meanwhile, in another development, Justice Christopher Balogun of a Lagos High Court,
Man, 20, to serve 12 mont hs in prison for burglary, theft
...couple involved in N17 8.9m fraud granted bail
Igbosere has granted bail to an ex customer service manager, Mrs Tosin Lawal and her husband, Mr Michael Lawal charged with alleged N178.9million fraud. The couple is facing eleven-count charges bordering on conspiracy and theft on which they pleaded not guilty. It will be recalled that they were formerly arraigned before Justice Candide Johnson of Igbosere High Court on Jan 24, 2012 who granted the second defendant (Michael Lawal) bail in the sum of N5million before the case was transferred. According to the charge sheet, the accused persons allegedly conspired to defraud Ecobank Nig. Plc of N179.8million being sales from fraudulent sales of foreign currency. According to the prosecuting counsel, Mr O.A Owodunni,
the offences contravened Sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2003. Owodunni had told the court that the bail application of the second defendant will be left unopposed but urged the court not to grant the first defendant bail on the condition that she is flight risk. “Another fact I want the court to take into consideration is that they were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 9.00 p.m while trying to escape from the country,” he said. However, the defending counsel, Mr O. Oyedipo argued that the case is a mere stealing offence which he is sure the defendants would not run from if granted bail and that they should not be seen as flight risk by the court.