A 42-year-old man, Philip Esangbedo, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ijede Magistrates’ Court in the Ikorodu area of Lagos for assaulting his wife, Terry.
He allegedly bit his wife on her forehead and little finger during a misunderstanding about a text message was sent to Terry’s mobile telephone on June 4 around 6.30pm.
Philip, who was arraigned on two counts of unworthy conduct and assault, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecutor, Inspector Aminu Isaac, said the couple got married in 2004 and had been living together since then.
He added that the marriage produced four children, noting that both Philip and Terry were educated.
Isaac told the court that the misunderstanding arose from a text message Philip saw on his wife’s mobile telephone, which read, ‘If your husband dies, can you live?’
According to him, the message prompted the husband to conclude that the wife was planning to kill him.
According to the prosecutor, the husband alleged that he had seen similar messages on the wife’s phone at different times in the past, adding that the messages originated from the wife’s old schoolmate.
The prosecutor alleged that Philip conducted himself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace by inflicting injuries on his wife.
According to him, the offences are punishable under Section 168 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
Isaac added that Philip, by biting his wife on her forehead and little finger, also committed an offence punishable under Section 174 (e) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
The charges read, “That you, Philip Esangbedo, on June 4, 2019, around 6.30pm at the UNILAG Estate, Igbe, Ginti, in the Ikorodu Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 168 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you, Philip Esangbedo, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did assault one Terry Esangbedo of the above address by giving her human bite on her forehead and her little finger, and cause her bodily harm, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 174 (e) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The presiding magistrate, Mrs A. Oshodi-Makanju, who listened to arguments from both parties, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties, who must live within the court’s jurisdiction and show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the case till July 11, 2019.