Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has sentenced a 35-year-old woman, Joy Ikoja, to seven years' imprisonment for inflicting severe injuries on the manhood of her lover, Ibrahim Usman, following a violent confrontation that stemmed from an act of infidelity. The judgment, delivered on Friday, July 31, 2026, by Justice Oyinkansola Oluboyede, brought to a close a case that had attracted widespread attention across the state because of the nature of the assault and the serious injuries sustained by the victim.
According to court records, the incident occurred on April 12, 2025, at approximately 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Irona area of Ado-Ekiti. Ikoja and Usman had been living together as romantic partners in a single room for approximately three years. However, trouble began when Ikoja accommodated her female friend, Mayowa Ayomide, who was facing housing difficulties, with Usman's consent. The living arrangement soon deteriorated into infidelity as Mayowa and Usman allegedly commenced a clandestine sexual affair under the same roof.
On the fateful evening, Ikoja returned home to find the door locked from the inside. Upon gaining entry, she allegedly caught Usman and Mayowa in bed together. Usman attempted to shield Mayowa by pushing her away and blocking Ikoja's path, but violence erupted as Ikoja grabbed hold of Usman's private parts with intense force, causing a severe vertical laceration to his scrotal sac that exposed his testes. Usman was rushed to the Police Cottage Hospital in Okesa, Ado-Ekiti, in the late hours of the night. Despite initial suturing, the wound became infected, exposing dead tissue and forcing a subsequent referral to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital for specialist urological care.
The Ekiti State Ministry of Justice had arraigned Ikoja on a two-count charge under the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021, bothering on attempt to murder (Section 241) and causing grievous harm (Section 255). The case was filed under Charge No: HAD/14C/2025. During the trial, the prosecutor, F.O. Awoniyi, called four witnesses, including police investigators and the attending medical doctor, and tendered five exhibits, including photographic evidence, a certificate of compliance, the defendant's confessional statement, and the medical report.
The defendant, represented by Legal Aid Council counsel Adeyinka Opaleke, pleaded not guilty and later resiled from her extra-judicial confessional statement, claiming she never made any statement at the station and that she only fought briefly without injuring Usman. However, Justice Oluboyede acquitted Ikoja of attempted murder on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish a premeditated intent to kill or the use of a lethal weapon. The court held that the evidence overwhelmingly supported the charge of grievous harm. The judge dismissed the defendant's denial as an afterthought, noting that her extra-judicial confession, corroborated by medical evidence and police testimony, firmly established her culpability.
Justice Oluboyede decried the rise of domestic violence driven by uncontrolled emotions and passion, emphasizing that violence can never be justified. She subsequently sentenced Ikoja to seven years' imprisonment, which is the maximum punishment prescribed under Section 255 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021, excluding the period already spent in detention. "Before I pronounce the sentencing of the Defendant, I must say that in my opinion, this is a case where the facts of the case were clear and evidence of the guilt of the Defendant is quite direct," the judge stated.
The case has sparked discussions about the consequences of domestic violence and the importance of controlling emotions in relationships. The judgment sends a strong message that violence, regardless of provocation, will be met with the full weight of the law. As the judge noted, violence driven by uncontrolled emotions and passion can never be justified, and anyone found guilty of such acts, irrespective of gender, must face the full weight of the law as a deterrent to others.
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