Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court cautioned the public against leaving charms in his courtroom during the trial of five men charged with the murder of Ifeanyi Etunmuse.
Mr. Oshodi issued the warning as the trial commenced, expressing concern over a talisman discovered after a previous adjourned date.
He sternly addressed the courtroom, stating, “No one should leave charms in my courtroom. It should not be repeated. A talisman was found after the last adjourned date in the murder case.”
Referring to the charm as ‘property’, he emphasized, “Do not leave your property here again. It does not work anymore.”
The Lagos State government had pressed charges against Atunrase Omolabi, Shittu Olawale, Olaide Opeifa, Olanrewaju Adebiyi (also known as Maja), and Jamiu Omosanya (aka Orobo) for the attempted murder and murder of Etunmuse at the Western Funeral Home in Ijede, Ikorodu, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
During the trial, the defense counsel cross-examined the prosecution witness, Babatunde Olayinka. The witness recounted hiding in a cemetery during the alleged attack, observing a group wielding machetes at a compound and later discovering a dead body nearby.
When questioned by the defense, Olayinka couldn’t definitively link the defendant to the body he encountered. Mahmud Adesina, counsel to the fourth defendant, pressed Olayinka on identifying those acquainted with the defendants.
Olayinka affirmed that Femi Onamade, a relative of Oluwatosin Onamade, knew the defendants and could identify them.
Following a request by the prosecution counsel, the judge issued a witness summons for Femi Onamade to appear in court.
The judge adjourned the trial until February 19, 2024, for further proceedings.
During a prior hearing, the prosecution alleged that the suspects had severed the wrist of Femi Onamade, the younger brother of Tosin Onamade.
