The
family of a Lagos teacher, Mrs. Titilayo Shodipo, who was allegedly killed by
her husband, Omolaja, in the Ikorodu area of the state, have said the suspect
might have killed her for an evil purpose.
Her
mother, Maria Ahinaje, called on the police authorities and the state
government to arrest the suspect and bring him to justice.
It
had been reported that Omolaja, 40, and the late wife had been married for the
past seven years and had four children together.
The
relationship was said to have been fraught with disagreements and fights.
It
was learnt that last Monday, the suspect allegedly beat up his wife and stabbed
her to death after another disagreement at their home on Insurance Crescent,
Logunlogun village, Igbo Olomu, Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Neighbours
were said to have found the 39-year-old in a pool of blood, after which
policemen from the Owutu division were invited.
The
corpse was moved to the Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary, while the suspect
was declared wanted.
The
family of the deceased on Friday said that they had asked Titilayo to quit the
relationship but she refused because of her children.
Her
mother, Maria, alleged that Omolaja was a drunk and an absentee father, adding
that they were the reasons for most of their disagreements.
She
said, “My daughter endured seven years of hardship and pain. When they started
their relationship, I told her not to marry him, but she said she loved him.
“When
they got married, he started beating her on a regular basis. He drank a lot and
had extra-marital affairs. He would buy little foodstuffs for the family and
when the food is exhausted, my daughter and her four children would start
begging for food on the street.
“Most
times, I had to send them foodstuffs and send money into her account for them
to survive.”
She
explained that when Titilayo was pregnant with her second child, Omolaja
assaulted her.
Maria,
who said their family hailed from Ipokia Local Government the Area of Ogun
State, and not Benin Republic, said the deceased left Omolaja and started
living with her then.
She
said, “One day, she said she wanted to visit her family clinic in Ikorodu. Her
father said she should use our hospital in Ketu and even gave her N3,000, and
she agreed.
“Before
we knew it, she called her father and said she was not returning again because
her in-laws had intervened and persuaded her to return to her husband.
“I
stopped going to their house three years ago because my daughter told her
husband bad things about me, saying I didn’t encourage their union. Because of
that, the man started misbehaving towards me.
“He
probably used my daughter for evil purpose before stabbing her to death.”
She
told our correspondent that the couple’s four children had been taken by the
suspect’s elder brother, urging the government to take custody of the kids.
Titilayo’s
father, Apostle Simeon Ahinaje, said although the family wanted justice for the
deceased, it was not ready to pursue any case.
“We
want government agencies to do their jobs and prosecute the suspect. The law
should take its full course. They should find him and deal with him. However,
we have decided not to pursue any case; we have handed over judgement to God as
true Christians. Nothing will restore the life of our daughter,” he added.
He
described Omolaja as a “hoodlum” who did not deserve his daughter, adding that
like the mother, he also warned against the union.
“But
when our daughter insisted on marrying him, we had to let her have her way,” he
said.
Attempts
to reach Omolaja on his mobile phone were futile, as the line was switched off.
The
state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said
investigations were ongoing into the case, adding that the command was still
searching for the suspect.
Source:Punch
Tags
Society