In a distressing incident, Samuel Adeniyi, a security professional, has been placed in custody at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre. The court action took place on Monday following allegations that he used a sledgehammer to fatally injure his girlfriend, Morolake Sunday, in the Lekki Phase 1 region of Lagos State.
Magistrate Patrick Nwaka of the Yaba Magistrate’s Court ordered the 33-year-old’s detention after Adeniyi was presented in court on a charge of homicide.
According to Thomas Nurudeen, the police prosecutor, the unfortunate incident transpired on August 10, 2023, at No. 33, Audu Ekpa Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State. The defendant reportedly claimed that his girlfriend was unfaithful and dissatisfied in their relationship, leading to a surge of jealousy and rage.
In court, it was revealed that on the fateful day, the victim, who worked as a nanny, left the child she was caring for to meet with another man, ostensibly to purchase prepaid phone cards. Adeniyi allegedly waited for an extended period before she returned home. A heated argument ensued when he questioned her about her prolonged absence, ultimately escalating into a physical altercation in which he inadvertently struck her head with a sledgehammer.
Following the altercation, Adeniyi fled the scene, while the injured woman was promptly taken to Mainland General Hospital by her employers. Tragically, she was confirmed dead by a attending physician.
The charge against Adeniyi reads, “That you, Samuel Adeniyi, on August 10, 2023, around 12 pm, at No. 33 Audu Ekpa Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one Sarah Morolake, aged 25 years by hitting a sledgehammer on her head, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.”
Adeniyi did not enter a plea during the court proceedings. The Magistrate ordered his detention in prison custody pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution. The case has been adjourned until October 10, 2023.
