78-year-old man bathes son’s face with acid, blinds him

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 .

Th two accused, according to the Prosecutor , Police Insp . Uche Simeon , committed the offences on Aug . 29 , 2015 at 6 . 00 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 .