A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Akure has directed the remand of a 21-year-old carpenter, Anthony Alabi, over the alleged murder of a 58-year-old woman, Veronica Olaseni.
Alabi was brought before the court by the police on a two-count charge bordering on murder and theft.
However, the court refused to take his plea on the grounds that it lacks the jurisdiction to handle the case.
The presiding magistrate, Temitope Adurota, subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Folashade Adebayo, informed the court that the alleged offence occurred on March 2, 2026, at Iboropa-Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of the state.
She alleged that the defendant strangled the victim on her farm after she identified him during an attempted theft.
According to the prosecution, the suspect also fled with items belonging to the deceased, including a mobile phone, a cutlass and an ATM card, adding that the offences contravene relevant provisions of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State.
Following the prosecution’s application, the magistrate ordered that the case file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and adjourned the matter until June 6 for mention.