Septuagenarian-father bathes son with acid ‘in self-defence’, man beat son to pulp for not collecting N300 change

A septuagenarian, Joseph Adetunji, who allegedly bathed his son’s face with acid, on Friday appeared before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
Arraigned with Adetunji, 78, was his son-in-law, Abayomi Balogun, 60, who allegedly conspired with him to commit the crime.
Both are being tried for conspiracy and assault, causing grievous harm.
The two accused, according to the prosecutor, Inspector Uche Simeon, committed the offences on August 29, 2015 at 6 p.m. at 32 Road, A Close, Festac Town, Lagos.
He said the accused conspired and sprayed acid on the face of Mr Adesoji Adetunji, son to the first accused (the septuagenarian) and brother-in-law to the second accused, following a family dispute.
“Your Worship, I do not know the kind of dispute that will make a father to disfigure his son in this manner, the son has gone totally blind,” he said.
The offences contravened Sections 172 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Section 172 stipulates three years imprisonment, while Section 411 prescribes two years for offenders.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.
The accused, a retired mechanical engineer, told the court that he sprayed his son with acid out of self-defence.
“My son, Adesoji, is the proverbial black sheep of the family, and on several occasions, he had attempted to kill me to take possession of his inheritance,”  Adetunji said.
The accused, who showed the court the scars of several stabbings by his son, said he had suffered in the hands of his son.
He told the court:“I have trained all my children to the best of my ability, I sent them all to higher institutions, his brother is a lawyer and before the incident, he refused to work as he indulges in drinking alcohol.
“On the day in question, I was in my daughter’s house trying to help her and my son-in-law to repair their car.
“My son came to me and his sister’s husband with a broken bottle demanding money and in self-defence, I sprayed battery acid on him.”
The Magistrate, Mr A. A. Adesanya, reprimanded the accused for taking laws into his hands, adding that he should have involved the police in resolving the matter.
“Seeing that three of the complainant’s siblings are here to testify to his unruly behaviours  toward their father is an indication that things were really not going right between father and son.
“The police should have been involved before it degenerated to this,” he said.
Adesanya granted the two accused N100,000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case until March 14.
Meanwhile, 47-year-old Taiwo Akinlabi, who allegedly beat his son to pulp for not collecting change from where he sent him to buy beer was on Friday charged before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The accused, a carpenter, who resides at 43, Oyemekun St., Ifako Agege, suburb of Lagos is being tried for assault.
Police prosecutor, Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offence was committed on January 13 at the residence of the accused.
Ogu said that the accused sent his son, a 13-year-old, to buy beer for his friend who visited.
“On getting to where the boy wanted to buy the beer, the seller told him that the father owed her N300 earlier and the boy paid the money from there.
“On getting home, the son told the father how N300 was removed from the change and he started beating him.
“The accused hit his son’s head with hammer and the boy fainted,” the prosecutor said.
Ogu added that the boy was rushed to a nearby hospital, while the accused was arrested.
The offence violated Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Taiwo Akanni granted the accused to a bail of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Akanni adjourned the case till February 26, for mention.