Power Uti Charged with Wife’s Murder

Ladipo Sanusi/

Former world wrestling champion, Power Uti, has been charged to court for murder.

Uti whose real name is John Eke Uti was brought  before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, in Lagos today by the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID) on two counts charge of murder and disrespect of corpse.

He was accused of beating his wife Toyin to death and abandoning her dead body at their residence, 17 Oremeji Street, in Ilupeju, Lagos on October 10.

Count one says: “That you John Eke Uti, on the 10th day of October, 2017, at about 10.25 am, at 17, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one Toyin Uti, aged 38, by beating her to death and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 222 and punishable under section 223 Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The second reads: “That you John Eke Uti, date, time and place, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did disrespect the corpse of one Toyin Uti, aged 38, by abandoning the corpse in a room to decompose and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 165(a) Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The defendant’s plea was however not taken.

His counsel I. E. Mkoemekor pleaded with the court to consider section 224 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Lagos State 2015 and peruse the case file where it will be discovered that his client was not linked with the deceased’s death.

He also pleaded with the court to admit the former champion to bail under very liberal terms.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. B. O. Folarin Williams, while citing Section 224(5) of the ACJL of Lagos State declined to grant the remand application argued by the police prosecutor, Sergeant Jimah Ishegele, on the ground that Uti could not be linked with the death of the deceased.

The magistrate said: “I have read the case file and none of the witnesses listed said that the defendant killed his wife.

“Even the Police Investigating Officer (IPO) could not establish that the defendant killed the deceased.

“I am not going to grant the remand application. I will grant bail to the defendant and send the case file to DPP for advice.

“Consequently I hereby admit the defendant to bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties. The sureties must be blood relations and be employed in reputable companies.”

The magistrate also ordered that the addresses of the sureties must be verified by the prosecutor and the sureties must have paid three years tax to Lagos State government.

She however ordered that Uti should be remanded in prison custody until he meets the conditions set for his bail.

The matter has been adjourned till November 15.

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