Kanyi Okeke
At an Ikeja High Court on Wednesday, Nkechi Okafor, a commercial sex worker who is standing trial for stabbing her client, Samuel Sarumi, to death, told Justice Lateefa Okunnu that she killed the man in self-defense.
Led in defence by Mrs A. Onabolu, the defence counsel, Nkechi said Sarumi came to the hotel at midnight on the fateful day to see his girlfriend. According to her, “Samuel came into my room and asked for his girlfriend, but I told him that the girl had gone out, but he refused to leave, wanting to force me into having sex with him, but I declined.
“He held me by the neck and almost choked me and when I was able to escape his grip, I ran into my room and I broke a bottle to scare him away as he had followed me into my room.
“He, however, refused to leave and I was forced to stab him and he ran out immediately and he later brought in some hoodlums into the room and they beat me up.”
Okafor said she sustained injuries on her mouth, back and face following the attack, explaining that she did not know that Sarumi died until her arrest by the police the next day, saying “I was in Panti Police Station for over a month before I was taken into prison custody.”
She described Sarumi as a jovial and generous man who treated her well anytime he visited his girlfriend, Ivie. “Before I was arrested, Samuel’s mother visited me and accused me of being a murderer and that I too must be killed,” Nkechi added.
Principal State Counsel Osunmola Balogun had alleged that the defendant stabbed Sarumi with a broken bottle on his shoulder and near his armpit, resulting in his death.
Not wanting to leave out any useful details that could help unravel the truth of what actually happened, Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter to June 28 for further hearing.