A pregnant woman, Mrs. Funmilayo Ajibola, died last
Wednesday in Badagry, Lagos State after being allegedly brutalised by her
husband, Kola.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the 30-year-old housewife had been a victim of
domestic abuse for years before she died on the fateful day.
Funmilayo’s cousin, who spoke to our
correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said Kola, a member of the
National Union of Road Transport Workers, was a jealous husband who always
suspected his wife’s movements.
She said, “Kola is a very jealous
husband. My cousin changed her phone lines more than 15 times throughout their
six years marriage lasted because anytime Kola saw a strange number on her
phone, he would destroy the SIM card.
“Sometimes, if she came back late or
went out, he would beat her. There was a time she visited her father and when
she got back home late, Kola told her to pick between him and her father.
“According to a young girl that lives
with the couple, on Sunday night, Funmilayo received a call from her maternal
uncle and when Kola saw the number, he started beating her. He did not even
listen to her explanation.”
The cousin said when the beating got
out of hand, the landlord intervened and took Funmilayo to his flat.
The landlord was said to have told
Funmilayo to go back to her husband’s apartment believing that his anger would
have subsided but Kola was said to have continued to beat her.
PUNCH Metro learnt that although the deceased did not die after the
beating, she started exhibiting strange symptoms before her death.
Her cousin said, “Although I wasn’t
there, the young girl that lives with them told me that Funmilayo was
unconscious for a while, making Kola to become scared.
“Kola rushed her to a nearby hospital
where she started to vomit blood. The hospital refused to admit her because
they owed the hospital some money.
“Kola then took her back to the house
and invited an auxiliary nurse to come and attend to her but her health
continued to deteriorate.”
The nurse was said to have given the
deceased some injections and bags of drip.
“The young girl that lives with them
told me that on Tuesday, Funmilayo ate some rice but vomited it soon after.
When her health did not improve, the nurse told Kola that she could no longer
locate her vein,” our source said.
It was learnt that when Funmilayo
died on Wednesday, Kola took her corpse to the Badagry General Hospital
mortuary and told the attendant that his wife died of pregnancy complications.
He was said to have promised to
return but later fled. Our correspondent learnt that neighbours immediately
informed members of Funmilayo’s family who then came to 5, Ilufe Street,
Ibereko Bus Stop, Badagry where the couple resided.
It was learnt that when all efforts
to trace Kola failed, his younger brother, was arrested by policemen attached
to Badagry Police Division.
At the station, Kola’s brother
revealed his location and policemen immediately arrested him.
A police source told our
correspondent that the 33-year-old suspect admitted beating his wife.
“I am not a doctor but there were
bruises on the corpse and there is no doubt that Kola beat her up and he has
confessed. He however said he did not kill her,” he said.
Funmilayo’s cousin however
berated the police on how the investigations were being handled.
She said, “Kola has been beating
Funmilayo for a long time to the extent that the landlord had issued them a
quit notice for fear that he might kill her.
“Police should have invited the
landlord for questioning as well as the nurse that was treating Funmilayo.
Also, the case should have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation
Department by now,” she said.
When contacted the spokesperson for
the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said the command would ensure that a
thorough investigation was carried out.
She said, “Investigation will be done
professionally. The Badagry Division has to conclude preliminary investigations
before transferring the case to the SCID.
“Also, Kola will be charged with
murder because all evidence points to him. It’s a clear case and there will be
no cover up.
“We are waiting for approval from a
magistrate court before going ahead with the autopsy and once all things are in
order, he’ll be charged to court.”