A
43-year-old man, Taiwo Adio, has clubbed his wife, Yemisi, and three
other persons to death with a pestle in Sokoto, Sokoto State.
Adio
on Saturday night at the Old Airport area of the Sokoto metropolis also
reportedly killed Rachael Adewole, 42, Benice Adewole, 10, and Esther Badelu,
14.
Rachael,
until her death, was the wife of Pastor Jacob Adewole, of Faith Baptist Church
(Sanctuary of Mercy and Glory), Old Airport Road, Sokoto. Ten-year old Benice
Adewole was their only daughter while Esther Badelu, was Benice’s friend.
The
Sokoto Police Command Public Relations Officer, El-Mustapha Sani, who also
confirmed the incident, said the suspect had been arrested and the exhibit, a
pestle, recovered.
Sani
said the case was under investigation at the state Criminal Investigation
Department.
The
corpses of the victims, however, had been deposited at the Usmanu Danfodiyo
University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, for post mortem.
When
our correspondent visited the church on Sunday morning, the premise was under
lock, as there was no Sunday worship service.
A
church member, Oyeleke Samson, narrated that he survived the suspect’s
onslaught by a whisker.
According
to Samson, “The suspect mysteriously disappeared from home for two days and on
his sudden return, he started behaving in a strange manner, talking
incoherently.
“When
the news of his return got to the church, the elated pastor’s wife, the late
Rachael, prepared food and told her daughter Benice, to take the food to Taiwo
Adio’s house. There, Esther Badelu decided to accompany her friend.
“Before
they arrived at the place, Adio, a bricklayer had clubbed the wife, Yemisi, an
auxiliary nurse, to death. When the two girls entered the house, he killed them
with the pestle in his hand.
“When
the two girls did not return home after a while, late Rachael decided to trace
the girls to the suspect’s house, not knowing that death was lurking. When she
opened the door, the suspect raised the pestle, as she turned to take to her
heels, the suspect hit her on the back, she fell and she was clubbed to death.
“On
instinct, I decided to go to the Mission House. I mounted my motorcycle, only
for me to see the suspect in a corner, it was the screech from my motorcycle
that scared him as he attempted to attack me. The only words I heard from him
were, ‘You people cannot poison me.
“I
was left bewildered that why should he think anybody wanted to kill him. I ate
out of the food at the mission house; moreover, he killed his wife before the
two girls arrived with the food. I am still in shock.”
Tags
Society