Man in court for allegedly assaulting hotel manager

A 21-year-old man, Samuel Wills, alleged to be a member of a secret cult, was on Monday brought before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for stabbing a hotel manager on the head with a broken bottle.

Wills, whose address was not provided, is facing four counts of conspiracy, cultism, assault and stealing, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Oriabure, told the court that the accused committed the offences with some other persons still at large on December 21, at 11:30pm at Ben Jack Hotel in Ifako-Ijaiye area of Lagos.

Oriabure said the accused and his friends beat-up the complainant, Mr Agwu Okike, because of disagreement over the payment of their bill.

“The accused were arguing with staff over the bill for their drinks and the accused came out to help settle the matter.

“My Lord, they used a broken bottle to stab him on his head and made away with N95, 400 that was in his office,” he said.

The offences contravened Sections 42, 287, 411 and 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

We gathered that Section 173 stipulates a three-year jail term for assault.

In her ruling, Magistrate Oluwatoyin Ojuromi granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Ojuromi said one of the sureties should be a blood relation of the accused and both sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The case was adjourned until February 26 for mention.