The police has arraigned a 29-year-old married man, Douglas Tamunokopo, before Justice C.O Agbaza of the High Court, Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, Abuja, for allegedly killing his girlfriend, Udo Abigail, because she committed an abortion without his consent.
A fight ensued between the couple after Abigail aborted her pregnancy after discovering that Tamunokopo already has a family with two children in Rivers State.
It was gathered that after the fight, the defendant left for work, while Abigail remained in the room.
After neighbours discovered that the lady never came out from the defendant’s room, they forced their way in and saw her sitting on a chair, with a rope hung on a nail on the wall and tied around her neck.
Tamunokopo was later arrested and charged to court for allegedly killing Abigail. The charge against him read;
“That you, Douglas Tamunokopo, on September 1, 2016, around 3pm, at the Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division, did cause the death of your girlfriend, Udo Abigail, by strangulating her to death.”
While the police prosecutor, Wale Adeagbo noted that the offence was punishable under Section 221 of the Penal Code, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The investigative police officer, Inspector Thomas Zephaniah who recounted how the incident happened after being led in evidence by Adeagbo, said he received a call on September 1, 2016, about the murder incident at Mogadishu Barracks.
He said;
“The officer in charge of the Homicide Section mobilised a team of police officers with me as an investigating police officer, to the scene where the incident occurred.
“There was a scene of purported suicide committed by a young lady. When the room of the accused person was opened, I saw a young lady seated on a plastic chair, with a rope of multiple entanglements tied to her neck, and a rope tied to a five-inch nail on the wall.
“The scene was photographed, the fingerprint was lifted, and the rope untied from the neck of the body. The corpse was thereafter moved to the National Hospital for examination. We approached the naval base of the defendant seeking his whereabouts, and we were told he was with them.
“Thereafter relaying what had happened to them at the naval base, they said an internal investigation would be carried out, and if found wanting, the defendant would be released to the police. On September 2, 2022, the defendant was handed over to the police for further investigation.”
An autopsy carried out on the deceased revealed she died of asphyxia and strangulation.
The defence counsel, M.E Ogbonna did not object the admission of documents which a witness sought to tender.
After Justice Agbaza admitted the documents as an exhibit in the matter, he adjourned the matter till September 26, 2022, for cross-examination.
