A 43-year-old guest, Donnie Egbuzie, on Thursday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly inflicting injuries on a woman, over her son’s refusal to greet him.

Egbuzie, a resident of Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, is being tried on a count charge of assault. The accused committed the offence on Dec.11, at Ipaja, according to the Prosecutor, Insp. Akeem Raji. He said that the accused assaulted Mrs Jennifer Chibueze by beating her up and inflicting injuries on her. Raji said that the accused, who came to visit one of Chibueze’s neighbours, called her son a bastard, for failing to greet him.

“The eight-year-old boy cried to his mother and told her that theaccused called him a bastard. “The complainant (Chibueze) followed him to where the accused was, to know why he called him a bastard. “The accused told her that he called her son a bastard because he lacked respect by not greeting him. “When the complainant warned him never to call her son a bastard, he descended on her through beating and dragged her on the ground,” Raji submitted.

The prosecutor said that the accused was arrested following a report by the complainant. Assault contravenes Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised) which prescribes three years’ imprisonment on conviction. Egbuzie, however, pleaded not guilty, and the Magistrate, Mrs Jadesola Ajayi, granted him N50, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum. Ajayi said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government (LASG).

She adjourned further hearing in the matter until Feb. 6, 2019 .