Two remanded for killing friend over bags of rice

Two friends, Noah Tovohome and Rajay Zannu, were placed under remand to a correctional facility by a Lagos State magistrate’s court located in the Yaba neighbourhood. They were accused of conspiring to kill their friend Segun Zusu by stealing thirty-six bags of rice.

On Tuesday, the two were brought before Magistrate Linda Balogun on two charges that had potential for murder.

The defendants, Tovohome and Zannu, allegedly planned to murder Zusu and steal the rice bags from Seme by working with a boat driver who was transporting Zusu’s goods. This information was presented in court.

But that day, at around two in the morning, they stopped the boat at the Novo River in Seme, beat Zusu unconscious with a plank, and threw him into the river. After that, they travelled to Badagry with the rice bags and sold them for about N1.4m to a businesswoman and shared the money.

The police prosecutor, Chekwube Okeh, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on November 12, 2023.

According to Okeh, the offence contravenes Section 222 and is punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The charges read in part, “That you, Noah Tovohome, 27, Rajay Zannu, 38 and others at large, on November 12, 2023, around 2 am, at Novo River, Seme, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one 26-year-old Segun Zusu, by hitting a plank on his head and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

The pleas of the defendants were not taken.

Okeh prayed the court to remand them to a correctional centre pending the outcome of legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Magistrate Balogun granted the prayer and ordered that the defendant be remanded to the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the outcome of legal advice from the DPP.

Balogun also adjourned the case till January 22, 2024, for the DPP’s advice.