Man, teenager remanded for three-year-old boy’s murder

A Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has remanded a 39-year-old man, Kazeem Alimson, and a 14-year-old boy in prison for alleged murder of a three-year-old boy. ‎

Alimson, whose address is unknown, and the 14-year-old boy, who resides at Tijani Street, Isheri Osun area of Lagos, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Anthonia Osanyade, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), told the court that the duo allegedly committed the offence ‎on March 15 at Tijani Street, Isheri Osun, Lagos, about 11.30 a.m.

The teenager, who lived in the same house with the deceased, lured the boy to Alimson who strangled him, Osanyade said.

He alleged that the teenager took the child away while his mother, who was bathing outside went into the house to get something.

“While the mother of the child was searching for him, her older eight-year-old daughter told her that she saw the teenager taking him away.

“When the accused returned alone, the mother asked him where he went and the whereabouts of her child, but he denied going out with the boy.

“The parents of the missing boy reported the case to the police, and during the teenager’s interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led them to where the child was strangled.

“The body of the child was found in an uncompleted building under a heavy stone,” the prosecutor said.

According to him, with further interrogations, the teenager said it was Alimson who told him to bring the boy to him.

“He confessed to the police that Alimson gave him N500 to bring the boy to him, and warned him not to tell anyone or else he will strangle him too,” Osanyade added.

The offences contravened Sections 223 and ‎233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The accused may be sentenced to life imprisonment on conviction, according to the criminal law.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Ipaye‎ Nwachukwu, ordered that the teenager be remanded at Abeokuta Correctional Home for Boys, while Alimson should be kept in prison pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).‎