My brother stabbed our father to death – Witness
A hairdresser, Patience Oamen, on Tuesday, narrated to a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja how her brother, Nelson, stabbed their father, Sunday Oamen, to death with a broken bottle.
Nelson is facing one count of murder contrary to Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011, before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.
According to the prosecutor, M. T. Adewoye, Nelson was 33-year-old when he committed the offence on September 18, 2015, at their residence, Block 272, Flat 4, Abesan Estate, Lagos State.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Patience stated that though Nelson had a cordial relationship with their father, the relationship was sometimes strained because of Sunday’s refusal to give the defendant money.
Patience, while being led in evidence by Adewoye, told the court that Nelson’s clothes were stained with blood on the day of the incident and he hurriedly ran out of the house.
She said, “On the day of the incident, our mother, who sells foodstuffs, was downstairs with me and between noon and 1pm, while we were still downstairs, I saw my brother hurriedly coming downstairs with his clothes stained with blood. I called his name but he ran away.
“The door to the house was locked and I was wondering how he opened the door. I took the keys, opened the door and saw a pool of blood and immediately ran downstairs to call our mother and we both ran upstairs to check on our father and noticed that he had been stabbed. He had been stabbed all over his stomach and neck with a broken bottle.
“We reported the case to the police and three days later, Nelson came to the police station to confess that he stabbed our father to death.”
Patience, who added that Nelson used to smoke Indian hemp, said his conflict with their parents over money had made him steal and sell a prepaid meter belonging to the family.
Patience, while being cross-examined by the defence counsel, E. B. Ogogo, reiterated that though she was not in the room when the incident happened, she knew that her brother committed the crime, because his clothes were stained with blood.
She added, “I saw him that day but I forgot to put it down in my statement. I was not myself that day because of the shock; that was why I did not remember to write it in my statement.
“My brother said our father’s spirit was hunting him and that was why he went to the police station to confess.”
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case till April 6 for the continuation of trial.