Friends Fight Because of Age, Spinal Cord Broken

A car wash attendant, Michael Taiwo, has allegedly broken the spinal cord of his friend, Akeem Amoo, after a scuffle between them.

PUNCH Metro learnt that 28-year-old Taiwo and Amoo were boyhood friends in the Alagbado area of Lagos State before a disagreement over age marred their relationship.

Our correspondent learnt that Amoo had been admitted to an orthopaedic hospital in Lagos, while Taiwo was charged to court by the police on Monday.

It was said the defendant, who claimed he was older, had accused the victim of being disrespectful to him whenever there was a discussion among their caucus in the community.

Our correspondent gathered that they kept each other at arm’s length after several altercations on the issue.

On January 28, around 8pm, Amoo, a commercial motorcyclist (popularly called okada rider), reportedly went to a car wash at Omisesan Junction – where Taiwo works – to wash his motorcycle.

Taiwo was said to have challenged Amoo to a duel after accusing the latter of grazing his leg with the tyre of his motorcycle.

In a show of strength, the suspect, it was learnt, lifted Amoo up and smashed his back on the floor, leading to what was later described by doctors as a spinal cord injury.

Taiwo was later arrested and arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court sitting in the Ijaiye-Ojokoro area of the state on one count of assault.

The charge read, “That you, Michael Taiwo, on January 28, 2015, at about 7.40pm, at Omisesan Junction, Alagbado, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did cause a grievous harm on Akeem Amoo by hitting him on ground full of stones which broke his backbone and left ankle and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 243 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence.

He was granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. T. Akani, in the sum of N100,000 with a surety, who, according to her, must also present evidence of tax payment and means of livelihood to the court for verification.

The case was adjourned till March 23, 2015 for mention.