The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 28-year- old man, Olaolu Akorede, who claimed to be a film producer, for allegedly attempting to kill his lover, Halimat and aborting her pregnancy.
Akorede, who was arrested by operatives of the Area J Command, Ajah, Lagos was accused by his lover of procuring a herbal substance from a native doctor which he gave to her to drink.
Halimat, in a petition claimed that Akorede allegedly convinced her to drink the substance because it was for the treatment of diabetes which she did and it later, allegedly caused the death of her unborn baby and damaged her Fallopian tube.
Narrating her ordeal in the petition signed by her counsel in the Chamber of Bislaw Legal Practitioners, Halimat said: “I met the suspect in New York, United States of America in November, 2016 while both of us were on vacation and began a relationship.
“When I came back to Nigeria, I noticed that I was pregnant and I called the suspect, who was still in the USA, about the development and he was very happy on the phone. And he begged me to keep the pregnancy till he comes back to Nigeria for us to wed. He requested for a return ticket to come back to Nigeria and I spent N400,000 to purchase a return ticket for him.
“When he came back to Nigeria, he also demanded and collected the sum of N2.5million from me to prepare for our wedding. But instead, he went to Abeokuta, Ogun State, to meet a native doctor who prepared a herbal liquid for him which he claimed was for treatment of diabetics.
“He convinced me to drink from the liquid and because I did not suspect anything, I drank from it unknown to me that it was to abort my pregnancy or to kill me.
“And after drinking the liquid, I began stooling blood and ended up in the hospital. Doctors later performed surgery on me and discovered that the herbal liquid had affected my unborn baby in my womb and damaged my fallopian tube. I am now appealing to the police to assist me to get justice.”
Police prosecutor, Inspector Okete Ejima, told the court in charge No. S/25/2017 that Akorede intentionally procured the harmful liquid for Halimat to kill her and the unborn child.
According to Ejima, the offences are punishable under sections 314, 147, 243 and 216 of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2015.
During proceedings, the defendant denied the police allegations and the Magistrate, Mrs. O. O. Otitoju granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Consequently, Otitoju adjourned the case till 22 May, 2017 for mention.
She also ordered the accused taken to Ikoyi prison, Lagos pending when he is able to fulfil his bail conditions.
