Court Hears How Shell Official, Njoku Allegedly Assault Wife
Magistrate T.R.A. Oladele of the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ogba has heard how a Shell Nigeria Official, Chukwueke Njoku assaulted his wife and stripped her at their residence in the Lekki Garden Phase 2 area of the State.
The wife, Kendra Njoku, who narrated her side of the story in her evidence in chief, stated that the husband and his brothers brutalised her and stripped her naked.
Kendra told the court that she reported the case at the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency, DSVRA, on November 12, 2018.
Being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Nosa Godson, she stated, “I was in the bedroom with my children on the bed with a long shirt on and nothing underneath. All of a sudden, my husband barged in and started beating me, while his two brothers joined him to beat me.
“My husband’s elder brother removed the wrapper that was covering me. Upon seeing my nakedness, he started beating me the more, as though he got angrier. The nanny had to throw a trouser at me to put on because I was bare from my waist downward.”
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She added that the siblings went to drag her brother, Nwogu, and beat him up as well.
After her testimony, the prosecutor presented another witness from the DSVRA, Oreofe Olayemi to testify in the matter.
Olayemi stated that the complainant came to the agency’s office with bruises allegedly inflicted on her by her husband and his two brothers.
“The matter was escalated to the Commissioner of Police, who referred it to the officer in charge of the gender desk,” she added.
The defence counsel, Oluwatosin Omigie, queried the competence of the witness, saying the petition sent to the police commissioner was not signed by any of the parties to the case.
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Godson, however, said it was admissible since it was signed by the Executive Secretary of the DSVRT, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi.
He stated that Olayemi was competent as an official of the agency.
The magistrate stated that the rule that the author of a document had to tender it was not absolute. She then admitted the petition as an exhibit.
Njoku was arraigned on one count charge of assault and he pleaded not guilty.
The charge read, “That you, Chukwueke Njoku, and others at large, on November 11, 2018, around 11pm at Unit 2 G147, Road 7 Lekki Garden Phase 2, Ajah, Lagos, in Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault your wife, Kendra Njoku, and your brother-in-law, Chiemeziem Nwogu, by dragging and beating them with fist blows.”
The offence is punishable under Section 170(a) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The case has been adjourned till August 12, 2022 for further hearing.
