The Lagos State government had arraigned the defendant before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe on a one-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The witness, who was also the investigative Police officer, told Justice Abike-Fadipe that he and other members of his team investigated a case of murder involving the defendant after the case file was transferred to the team on May 18, 2022.
The police officer also testified that the complainant in the matter, Joshua Osho volunteered a statement and that the defendant also made a statement under caution, in which he claimed the defendant confessed to the crime.
ASP Oladimeji claimed that the defendant committed the offence at 4 Sebil Kazeem Street in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
He further stated that he visited the house where the fight took place where he was told that they had a misunderstanding over an electricity bill, which resulted in physical combat.
He said, “the defendant brought out a knife and chased the deceased to a nearby street where he allegedly stabbed him.”
“The investigation on the 25th May 2022 revealed that Temitayo Ogunbusola was a tenant at 4 Sebil Kazeem Street. I was told that he was not cooperating with the landlord and other tenants in the house.
“A series of fighting occurred on the premises,” he said.
The witness also testified that the deceased sustained some degree of injury from the knife which Ogunbusola used to stab him.
Earlier during the proceedings, another witness, Inspector Ojo Isreal with Force No. AP 244299 had told the trial judge that the defendant confirmed that he stabbed the deceased.
Isreal had informed the judge that “on 15th May 2020, at about 1900 hours, a case was reported that someone stabbed another person around Ikotun-Egbe.
“When we got to the crime scene, we were directed to a hospital where we met Temitayo on the ground in front of the hospital, he was holding a blood-stained knife, and he also sustained some injuries, the witness stated.
He further claimed that he discovered that during the investigation, the complainant, the deceased and the defendant were living together in the same apartment and they said they had an issue with the electricity bill which was just N1,000.
The State Prosecutor, Adebanke Ogunde tendered the complainant’s statement, the defendant’s statement, a photograph of the deceased, a hospital index card, a Coroner form, Police investigation activities and a copy of a COVID-19 test.
All the exhibits were admitted in evidence by the judge.
The judge has adjourned the matter to January 17 for the continuation of the trial.
