Court Remands Two Over Alleged Killing of Minor in Benin

Two men, Ile Itua, 25, and Kingsley Micheal, 36, have been remanded by a Benin High Court in a correction center on suspicion of the murder of a 21-month-old child.

The two are charged with murder after the Prosecutor, Polycap Odion, disclosed that they murdered the child illegally with a car on March 12 in Benin City. The prosecutor also claimed the defendants intended to kill two other individuals using the same incident, which contravened sections in the Criminal Law of Edo, 2022.

Itua and Micheal's defense counsel, Mr. Paul Badaki, had maintained that the case was murder by accident and not murder. He asked the court to look at the Investigating Police Officer's (IPO) report for the sake of identifying the nature of the incident.

According to IPO ASP Regina Obayuwana, the defendants' car was obstructed by a police Public Safety Response Team whilst in transit from Agbor Park to Ring Road. Since the car went off course and struck the child in its encounter with the police,.

Presiding Justice, Williams Aziegbemhin, ordered the defense to make a formal application for bail in order to find out whether the act was an accident or murder. The defendants were remanded in Oko Correctional Centre and the case was adjourned to April 1, 2025.