A popular wrestler, John Eke Uti, popularly known as Power Uti, was on Tuesday hauled up before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly killing his wife, Toyin.
Uti, 55, was arraigned before Magistrate Bola Folarin-Williams on a two-count charge of murder and disrespect of corpse. After going through the case file, Mrs. Folarin-Williams said she did not see anything both in the accused’s statement and in the police investigations to show that the accused killed his wife and quashed the remand application brought by the police.
She, therefore, admitted the accused to a bail of N500, 000 with two responsible sureties in like sum, who must be blood relations and also work with reputable organisations. She directed that the case file be duplicated and a copy forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) for legal advice.
Earlier, Jimah Iseghede, the prosecutor, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on October 10 about 10.25 p.m. at No. 17, Oremeji St., Ilupeju, Lagos.
He alleged that the accused beat his wife, Toyin, 38, to death and abandoned the corpse in a room to decompose.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Uti, a former world wrestling champion, was first taken to Ilupeju Police Station before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
The offences contravened Sections 165(a) and 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
If found guilty, the accused faces a death sentence.
The case has been adjourned until November 15.
NAN
