A 51-year-old landlord, Bassey Wilson, was on Wednesday arraigned in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly flogging a married woman with a belt.
Wilson, a businessman, who resides at Ahmadiyya, Meiran, a suburb of Lagos, is being tried for assault.
The accused allegedly committed the offence on July 7 at his residence, the prosecutor, Sgt Godwin Awase, told the court.
He said that the accused assaulted Mrs Victoria Obioha, his tenant, by flogging her with the belt which resulted in some bruises on her body.
“The complainant washed and spread her husband’s police uniform and belt on a clothesline.
“The accused removed the clothes where the complainant hung them and seized them because there was an argument over where the clothes were spread.
“The complainant ran after him in order to retrieve the uniform and belt before entering his apartment.
“But the accused turned on her and used her husband ’s belt to flog her several times all over her body, resulting in injuries.
“The uniform and belt are still with the accused.
“The case was reported and the accused was arrested,” the prosecutor said.
The offence, he said, contravened Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes three years jail term for assault.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty and the Magistrate, Mrs F.F. George, granted him bail on self-recognition.
She adjourned the case till Friday. (NAN)