Ex-Wrestling Champion, Power Uti, Docked For Wife’s Murder
The police in Lagos on Tuesday, arraigned former Nigerian wrestler, John Eke Uti, who is popularly known as ‘Power Uti’, before a Lagos State Chief Magistrate court sitting in Ebute-metta for allegedly killing his wife, Toyin.
The former wrestling champion, who was a household name in the country between the 80s and 90s, was docked on a two-counts charge of murder and abandoning his wife’s dead body in their apartment.
The accused person was also alleged to have beaten the deceased to death at their residence, 17, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, on October 10, 2017.
Count one of the charges against him read: “That you, John Eke Uti, on the 10th day of October, 2017, at about 10.25 a.m, 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 committing 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″.
While the Count two reads: “That you, John Eke Uti, on same 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 committing an offence contrary to, and punishable under section 165(a) Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015”.
His plea was not taken because of the nature of the offence, which cannot be tried by the magistrate court.
However, his lawyer, I. E. Mkoemekor, urged the court, to consider Section 224 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2015, and take a look at the case file.
Mkoemekor maintained that this will convince the court that his client is not linked to the deceased’s death.
The lawyer also pleaded with the court to admit the former wrestler bail in very liberal terms.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Bola Folarin Williams, while citing Section 224(5) of ACJL, declined to grant the remand application argued by the police prosecutor, Sergeant Jimah Ishegele, on the ground that former world wrestling champion was not linked with the death of the deceased.
The magistrate said: “I have read the case file, and non of the witness listed said that the defendant killed his wife.
“Even, the Police Investigation Officer (IPO) could not establish that the defendant killed the deceased.
“I’m not going to grant the remand application, I will grant bail to the defendant, and send the case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
“Consequently, I hereby grant bail to the defendant in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be gainful employed in reputable companies,” she held.
The court also ordered that the addressee of the sureties must be verified by the prosecutors, and that the sureties must have paid three years tax to the Lagos State government.
The matter was adjourned till November 15, 2017, for report on DPP’s advice.
The Magistrate however directed that the defendant be remanded in prison custody pending when he fulfils the bail conditions.
