Man breaks friend’s spinal cord over age claims

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.
 Culled from the Punch newspaper