An Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court, weekend, ordered the remand of 18-year-old Tope Momoh, for allegedly strangling his 52-year-old mother, Stella Momoh to death.
Police Prosecutor, Nelson Akintimehin, said
that the defendant was arraigned for
murder.According to Akintimehin, the defendant
committed the offence at midnight on
September 6, 2022, at Ikakumi Akoko, in
Ondo state.He informed the court that Tope strangled
his mother to death in the middle of the
night for calling him a bastard. He said the defendant confessed he was responsible for his mother’s death two weeks after she had been buried.The Prosecutor said that the cause of the
death of the victim was not immediately
known when she died until her son
confessed to being the perpetrator.“Tope, in his confession, said he was forced to tell his relatives that he strangled his mother to death when she woke him up at midnight, raining curses on him and calling him a bastard repeatedly.”
The prosecutor said the offence contravenes
Section 319(1)of the Criminal Code, Cap 37,
Vol. II Law of Ondo State, 2006.The defendant pleaded with the court that: “I did not have rest of mind since my mother has been buried. So, I was forced to confess that I strangled her to death. So, I want the court to show me mercy.”
However, the prosecutor, urged the court to
remand the defendant in a custodial centre,
pending the outcome of advice from the
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).The defendant’s plea was not taken as Chief
Magistrate Musa Al-Yunnus ordered his
remand at the Olokuta Correctional Centre.
Al-Yunnus, therefore, adjourned the case till
October 20, 2022, for a ruling.
