State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti-Yaba in Lagos state, today arraigned renowned wrestler, John Eke Uti a.k.a. Power Uti, before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly beating his 38-year-old wife, Toyin Uti, to death and abandoning her corpse in their 17, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju residence on October 10. Part of the two-count charges filed against him reads
“That you John Eke Uti, on the 10th day of October, 2017, at about 10:25am, at 17, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, did unlawfully kill one Toyin Uti, aged 38, by beating her to death and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
“That you John Eke Uti, at the same date, time and place, did disrespect the corpse of one Toyin Uti, aged 38, by abandoning the corpse in a room to decompose and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 165(a) Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
After going through the case file, the Magistrate, Bola Folarin-Williams said she did not see anything both in the accused’s statement and in the police investigations to show that Uti indeed killed his wife. She quashed the remand application brought by the police and granted Uti a bail of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum, who must be blood relations and also work with reputable organisations.
The magistrate then directed that the case file be duplicated and a copy forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) for legal advice.
The case has been adjourned until Nov. 15.