Barman, friend jailed 25 years for manslaughter

Justice Kudirat Jose of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on Tuesday sentenced a barman, Marvelous Chibueze, and his friend, David Oladimeji, to 25 years’ imprisonment for killing one Peter Madueke.

It was learnt that Madueke was stabbed with a broken bottle in the neck.

The incident was said to have happened on January 27, 2015, at Love Garden Hotel in Ikotun Egbe, Lagos State.


Chibueze, in his testimony before the court, said the deceased came to the hotel, where he worked as a barman, to buy a cigarette.

“He requested a stick of cigarette which cost N50 and he gave me N500. I told him that there was no change and suggested that he should buy a bottle of beer, which he obliged.

“I was dozing where I sat when the deceased pushed me and demanded his change. I told him to be patient. He pushed me again and we started fighting until a director of the hotel separated us.

“I thought the fight had ended, but I was surprised when he returned with a long bamboo stick and hit me.

“We were still fighting when David and his friends –Friday and Wasiu – came in. It was Wasiu that broke a bottle.

“I did not notice that the man was stabbed. The director later called me that the man had been stabbed in the neck and that we should rush him to a hospital.

“We rushed him to a private hospital where the nurses rejected him and he died in front of a hospital,” Chibueze said.

The second convict, Oladimeji, had also told the cour that one of the prostitutes in the hotel came to call him that Chibueze was fighting with Madueke.

“When I got there, Madueke was holding a big bamboo stick. We were struggling with him for the control of the bamboo stick when Friday, who is at large, stabbed Madueke with a broken bottle,” he said.

Justice Jose found both men guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy and sentenced them to 20 years on the first count, and 5 years on the second count of conspiracy, which would start counting from when they were remanded.

“It is obvious from the facts before me that the deceased was the aggressor, nevertheless, a human life was lost.

“I hereby find both defendants guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy. You are sentenced to 25 years,” she said.

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