The Ikeja High Court, Lagos, has set July 7 for delivery of judgement in the trial of a couple accused of killing their housemaid, Joy Adole.
The presiding judge, Justice Oyindamola Ogala, fixed the date upon adjournment of the case on Thursday.
The defendants are facing four counts of conspiracy, involuntary manslaughter and accessory after the fact to murder.
The couple, Fortune and Stephen Nwankwo, were accused of killing their 19-year-old maid on April 20, 2020, at their residence on Ogundola Street, in the Bariga area of the state.
The pleaded not guilty. However, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions commenced trial with eight witnesses to prove the case against the couple.
In the couple’s defence on January 17, 2022, they told the court that on the day preceding the incident, Joy was caught with noodles and beaten because she was fond of stealing foodstuffs at home.
Fortune said after the incident, she had a discussion with Joy and she later apologised and promised not to steal again.
She said, “On the following day while in the kitchen, I called out to Joy, but no response. So, I went into her room and saw her hanging on the ceiling. I screamed and called my husband and told him in our dialect that our housemaid had killed herself; he also screamed.
“I called one of our neighbours to come to see what happened and after then, my husband put a call to his father and he later went to the police station to report the incident. I was also asked to report at the station and give statements. The police detained me and while in detention, my DNA, thumbprint, and blood sample were taken and I was later remanded in Kirikiri prison.”
During the court proceedings, both the prosecutor and the defence team adopted their final written addresses.