A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, has heard how the bodies of 89-year-old grandmother and daughter, Ajoke John and Oreoluwa respectively, killed by their newly employed house help, Joseph Ogbu, were discovered.
A security guard, Dahiru Musa told the court that the bodies were discovered after Ogbu was caught trying to flee scene of the crime in the car of his deceased employers.
Ogbu was represented in court by a counsel, Monday Ubani.
Led in evidence by the Lagos Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), before Justice Modupe Nicole-Clay, Musa said he knew Ogbu from the day he resumed duty at Mrs Ajoke John’s house located on 4, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere.
Musa, who was the first prosecuting witness in the matter, told the court that on the night of his second day with mama, he saw the defendant driving out mama’s car out of her house at about 2.00 a.m.
“I approached him and asked why he was driving the deceased’s car at that hour of the day. He said mama sent him on an errand somewhere”.
The witness who claimed to have known mama since 1984, said he became suspicious and challenged him further that mama could not have sent him out on errand at that hour.
” I held him tight, took the car’s key from him and led him back to mama’s house.
“We climbed the steps to the upper floor and entered the parlour. The whole place was in a mess. All the drawers were pulled out and their contents scattered on the floor. He had destroyed a lot of things. I shouted, ‘mama, mama’ but nobody answered.
“I asked him to show me where mama was and he took me to her room.
“I saw mama in her room on the floor. She was dead”.
Asked how many people reside in mama’s apartment, Musa said two, ” mama and her daughter. She had been stabbed and was also dead.”
“When I saw the dead bodies, I turned him (defendant) round and tied his hands behind his back and his legs until daybreak”.
He said that he handed Ogbu to the Police when they came to the crime scene in the morning.
Musa also noted that the defendant damaged mama’s car when he was driving it out of the house.
Asked what he saw in the car, Musa said when the defendant’s bag was opened, it contained his clothes, four phones, four ATM cards and one big flat television in the boot of the car.
He said the flat screen television was the one hung on the wall in the deceased sitting room.
At this stage, the trial judge, Justice Nicole-Clay, insisted on having an official interpreter “in the interest of justice and for justice to be served “.
Counsels agreed with the judge on the need for an interpreter.
Justice Nicole-Clay adjourned the case till January 23, 2020 for continuation of hearing.
The defendant, Joseph Ogbu is facing a three count charge of murder and stealing brought against him by the state.
At the last proceedings October 22, the Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yaqub Oshoala, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on June 19.
He said that the incident took place at 4, Ogunlana Drive, in Surulere area of Lagos, at about 9: 30pm.
Oshoala said that the defendant allegedly killed one Adejoke John, by strangulating her to death.
He also said that Ogbu, also killed Oreoluwa John, by stabbing her to death.
The prosecutor further alleged that the defendant whilst armed with a knife, robbed the deceased of her car, phones and Plasma TV.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
