A Lagos High Court, in Igbosere, Lagos, yesterday ordered the remand of two brothers, 33-year-old Olamilekan Oke and Akande Adeyinka, 27, for their alleged involvement in the rape and killing of Bernadette Tohouo-Tohouo, 44, the Hungarian wife of a Cameroonian, Gildas Tohouo-Tohouo, Managing Director of Maersk Nigeria Limited.
Oke, a technician, and Adeyinka, a printer, were remanded following their not-guilty plea before Justice Modupe Nico-Clay of a Lagos High Court.
The defendants are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, unlawful assault, robbery, armed robbery and rape preferred against them by the Lagos State government.
The prosecuting counsel, who is the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, led the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Adeyinka Adeyemi, in telling the court that the defendants conspired to commit the alleged offences on December 8, 2019.
Onigbanjo said that the incident took place at about 7.30pm at Flat 7A, No 1, Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos, where, he alleged, Oke unlawfully had sexual intercourse with Bernadetta Tohouo-Tohouo and then suffocated her to death with a small pillow.
The prosecutor added that the two men also attempted to kill Gildas Tohouo-Tohouo by stabbing him many times on the neck, head and back with a knife and a dagger and hitting him with a hammer on his head.
The Commissioner of Justice alleged that the defendants violently robbed Gildas Tohouo-Tohouo and Bernadetta of many items, including foreign currencies in different denominations.
They also allegedly carted away two iphones, two bottles of wine, two wedding rings and one engagement ring.
The defendants denied the charge against them.
Oke was represented by a lawyer, A. O. Odusanya, from the Office of the Public Defender, while Mrs L. Y. Salau and I. T. Akingbade from the Legal Aid Council appeared for the second defendant.
Onigbanjo urged the court for a date to commence trial. Justice Nico-Clay adjourned the case till June 30, 2020 for trial.
