Driver Remanded for Attacking Toddler with Cutlass in Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A 32-year-old commercial driver, Idowu Ali, has been remanded in Oke Kura Correctional Centre in Ilorin, Kwara State for allegedly assaulting and cutting a two-year-old boy over domestic issue.

Ali, who lives at No 7, Alikali House, Adabata in Ilorin, was dragged before an Ilorin Magistrate Court for offences bordering on criminal trespass, causing grievous harm, and attempted culpable homicide, contrary to Sections 348, 248 and 229 of the Penal code Law.

The Police First Information Report (FIR) stated that on June 7, 2022, the suspect attacked family of one Emmanuel Ifeanyi at about 11:15p.m. to cut his two-year-old son, Godwin Ifeanyi, with machete on his left leg and used same cutlass to cut the right thumb of the complainant.

According to police report, “On June 14, 2022, at about 14:16hours, the case was transferred from Divisional Police headquarters ‘C’ Division, Oja Oba in Ilorin, Kwara State, to the Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.

“On June 8, 2022, at 10:00 hours, one Emmanuel Ifeanyi of Adabata area in Ilorin reported at ‘C’ Division Police Station in Ilorin that on June 7, 2022, at about 23:15 hours, he was with his family sleeping on the corridor of his house which is an upstairs when suddenly one Idowu Ali of No.7 Alikali house Adabata, Ilorin, climbed the stairs to challenge him over a domestic matter, and left in anger only to return a few minutes after with a cutlass in his hand and forcefully kicked the door of his house open and with the cutlass in his hand, approached him and his family who were sleeping.

“And the said Idowu Ali, who aimed to behead Godwin Ifeanyi, the complainant’ son, incidentally cut the leg and almost severed the leg from the ankle of Godwin Ifeanyi, aged two and half years old, who was sleeping on the floor.

“Emmanuel Ifeanyi further stated that while he was trying to collect the cutlass from Idowu Ali to prevent him from further harming his family member, Ali used the cutlass to attack him and cut his right thumb.

“So the immediate police action led to the arrest of Ali, who was fingered in attacking the toddler.

“Investigation conducted at the CID in Ilorin revealed that the genesis of this incident was that Ali’s son, Alameen, 10, was beating one Munachi, the son of Emmanuel Ifeanyi, and this degenerated into misunderstanding between both parents.

“During discreet investigation, you, Ali, confessed that your wife called you on phone that Emmanuel Ifeanyi, popularly called Baba Ibo, and his wife were beating her and you told your wife to wait till you return from work in the evening.

“And when you returned from work in the night, you forcefully trespassed and kicked the door of Emmanuel Ifeanyi’s house open and challenged him as to why he and his wife beat your wife, and that Baba Ibo pushed you which made you return to your house to pick your cutlass and went back to Baba Ibo’s house with the cutlass and severed two and half year old Godwin Ifeanyi’s right leg from the ankle.”

The victim of the attack, Godwin Ifeanyi, is still undergoing medical attention in one of the hospitals in the Ilorin metropolis.

During the hearing of the case on June 17, 2022, lawyer to the defendant, G. T. Olumo, filed a motion seeking the release of the defendant on bail, while the Magistrate, Dasuki I.A., insisted that he must know the state of the victim before he could listen to any application.

Counsel to the victim family, Onwa Emmanuel Ifeanyi, who commended the magistrate for his persistence in ensuring that justice is done in the case, said parents of the victim had been approaching individuals and Igbo community in the metropolis for financial support to treat the victim.

The counsel, who is also a human rights activist, said he took up the case on pro-bono since the beginning of the case, adding that the state Ministry of Justice had also filed a charge against the defendant before the state High Court.

The court has, however, adjourned the matter till August 29, 2022.