Man, 45, risks 3-yr jail term for beer parlour brawl with friend over Barca, Man United

A man, Paul Elikwu, was yesterday arraigned in court allegedly for criminal assault against his friend following a disagreement two popular foreign football clubs, Barcelona and Manchester United.

  During the brawl, two persons, according to police prosecutor, Sergeant Anthonia Osanyade, sustained varying degrees of injuries.


   Elikwu, 45, and his friend, Amaechi Charles, were said to have left home together on September 8, 2017 about 7.20pm to watch a match at a beer parlour located on Modele Way, off Akerele Road, Surulere, Lagos. 

 In the course of the match, a heated disagreement was understood to have developed between the two friends on which of Barcelona FC and Manchester United would win the 2017/2018  European Champions League trophy, which is now ongoing. Elikwu is a fan of Barcelona, while Charles supports Manchester United. Barcelona had earlier, on July 26, 2017, defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the pre-season International Champions Cup competition.    

 During the argument, Elikwu was alleged to have grabbed the shirt of his friend, daring him to a fight. “We initially thought it was one of those arguments among football fans that will end in loser buying the winner a bottle of drink. But before we knew what was happening, the two friends were all over each other, upturning tables and the drinks of other guests in the process.

 “The owner of the joint and the barman tried to separate the two friends. While this was on, Paul grabbed hold of a bottle, hit it on the floor and stabbed his friend with it. It was the owner of the joint who invited the police. When the police came they took the two friends to the station. Charles was given a note to go and treat himself while Paul was detained,” a source was gathered to have said.
 Charles and the bar attendant were said to be seriously injured. The prosecutor alleged that the accused caused the victim grievous harm.

 Following the directive of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, the matter was yesterday charged to a Surulere chief magistrate’s court where Elikwu was charged with criminal assault.

  ‎ Osayande noted that the offence contravened Section 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, for which the accused could spend three years in jail, if found guilty, according to the Section.

 Elikwu, whose address was not provided, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault.

 The court granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.
 According to the magistrate, Mr Aro Lambo, the surety must either be a cleric or a community leader with an evidence of tax payment to the government.
 The case has been adjourned until October 17, 2017 for mention.

(Daily Trust)

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