A suspected cheating scandal ended in a gruesome lovers’ fight in Ekiti State, with 35-year-old Joy Ikoja landing seven years in prison after allegedly grabbing and severely injuring her boyfriend’s manhood during the confrontation.
Ikoja was convicted by a High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti after the court found her guilty of causing grievous harm to her lover, Ibrahim Usman.
The incident happened on April 12, 2025, in the Irona area of Ado-Ekiti, after Ikoja allegedly caught Usman in bed with her female friend, Mayowa Ayomide.
Ikoja and Usman had reportedly lived together as lovers for about three years before trouble started after Ikoja allowed Mayowa, who was facing accommodation problems, to stay with them with Usman’s consent.
The court heard that the arrangement later turned into a secret affair, with Mayowa and Usman allegedly beginning a sexual relationship behind Ikoja’s back.
Things reportedly exploded on the evening of April 12 when Ikoja returned home between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and found the door locked from inside.
After gaining entry, she allegedly caught Usman and Mayowa in bed together.
Usman reportedly tried to shield Mayowa and block Ikoja’s path, but the confrontation quickly turned violent.
During the struggle, Ikoja allegedly grabbed Usman’s private parts with force, leaving him with a deep cut to his scrotum that exposed his testes.
Usman was rushed to the Police Cottage Hospital in Okesa, Ado-Ekiti, where the injury was initially sutured. However, the wound later became infected and developed dead tissue, forcing his transfer to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital for specialist treatment.
The prosecution, led by F.O. Awoniyi, called four witnesses, including police investigators and the doctor who treated Usman, and tendered five exhibits, including photographs, a medical report and Ikoja’s extra-judicial statement.
Ikoja, represented by Legal Aid Council lawyer Adeyinka Opaleke, pleaded not guilty and later denied making the statement, insisting that she only had a brief fight with Usman and did not injure him.
But Justice Oyinkansola Oluboyede dismissed the defence and found Ikoja guilty of causing grievous harm.
The judge, however, acquitted her of attempted murder, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove that she had a premeditated intention to kill Usman or used a lethal weapon.
Justice Oluboyede said Ikoja’s denial was an afterthought, noting that her extra-judicial statement was backed by medical evidence and police testimony.
The judge also condemned domestic violence driven by uncontrolled anger and passion, stressing that there was no justification for violence against an intimate partner.
Justice Oluboyede said the evidence against Ikoja was clear and direct, adding that her counsel could have sought a plea bargain, which might have reduced legal costs and jail time while giving the victim greater privacy.
Although the judge acknowledged that Ikoja’s actions appeared to have been driven by uncontrolled emotions and passion, she warned that such emotions could never justify violence.
She consequently handed Ikoja the maximum seven-year prison term prescribed for grievous harm under Section 255 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The sentence excludes the period already spent in detention.
The judge said the punishment should serve as a warning to others who might resort to violence during domestic disputes.
“I therefore sentence the Defendant to the maximum punishment prescribed under the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021 for the offence of grievous harm, which is seven (7) years imprisonment, excluding the time served in detention,” Justice Oluboyede ruled.
