Published 29th Sep, 2021

By Abdullah Tijani

The coroner who presided over a preliminary inquest into the killing of 18-year-old Monsurat Ojuade has ordered the police to show the face of Samuel Philips, the alleged killer, before his next appearance in court.

The coroner gave the order at a magistrate court in Ebute Metta, Lagos, on Wednesday, after Israel Mbaibe, the lawyer representing the deceased’s family, said the identity of the suspect should not be a privileged information and requested that his face be shown.

“The identity of Samuel Philips should not be made a privileged information,” Mbaibe said while addressing the press after the inquest. “We only have a name; we don’t have the face. The world needs to know the face of the person who killed Monsurat Ojuade.”

The inquest was a response to a letter written by Mbaibe to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, demanding an update on the murder of the young lady.

Though, following his arraignment, Philips appeared before Yaba Magistrate Court on Friday, he wore a face mask which concealed his face.

Philips was said to have shot Ojuade at close range during a police raid in Mogaji community, Surulere, Lagos, at about midnight on September 11.

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