A High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, on Monday sentenced a 33-year-old man, Jide Afolayan Sunday, to life imprisonment for bathing his girlfriend, Glory Sylvester Ita, with acid over her refusal to marry him.
The judge, Justice Blessing Egwu, found Sunday guilty of attempted murder, and ordered that he serve his sentence at the Calabar Medium Security Custodial Centre as well as pay N10 million as compensation for the victim’s surgery.
Egwu held that the prosecution proved the charge of attempted mother by pouring acid on the victim after refusing his marriage proposal, noting that it was well planned.
Sunday has been in police custody for months for the attempted murder of Ita by bathing her with acid from head to her abdomen where one of her ears and breast were brutally burnt by the corrosive substance. He also hurt her finger, and attempted to push the victim into the pool to drown.
During the trial, the prosecutor said the incident was triggered by a breakup where Ita was invited by Sunday, her boyfriend, to Reel home Hotel, Ekon-Etta off Marian Road, Calabar on October 21, 2022, which led to heated argument and he poured acid on her in an attempt to kill her.
The prosecutor sais that the relationship lasted for nine months before Sunday sought her hand in marriage, and when she refused and threatened to end the relationship, he got up and threw the acid over her body.
Due to the hotness and the burning sensation, one of her ear and breast were damaged, while other parts of her body got burnt. Upon his arrest, Sunday denied the allegation, claiming that she was the one who poured the acid on him, but the evidence clearly showed that Ita was actually the victim. He was arrested and charged to court on January 24.
