The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 35-year-old man, Wasiu Eluyera, for allegedly conniving with his friend, Adeniyi Samuel, to kill his 29-year-old pregnant ex-wife, Bola Taiwo.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Monday, said the suspect, who was married to Taiwo, separated from her due to irreconcilable differences.
He explained that Eluyera got married to another woman who was living with him.
According to Oyeyemi, he met his former wife and they started going out again, which resulted in a pregnancy.
He said, “In order not to upset his new wife, Eluyera asked Taiwo to terminate the pregnancy, a suggestion that was rejected by her.
“Having tried all he could to abort the pregnancy to no avail, Eluyera decided to eliminate the woman and the pregnancy.”
The PPRO said the suspect and his accomplice were arrested following a distress call received by the Divisional Police Officer, Ogijo, from concerned members of the public on January 1, 2022.
Oyeyemi said the police gathered that the two men were engaged in serious physical combat at the Oponuwa area of Ogijo, and if they were not arrested, it might lead to bloodshed.
He said, “Upon the distress call, the DPO, Ogijo, division, CSP Muhammed Baba, quickly detailed his men to the scene, where the two suspects were promptly arrested.
“It was during interrogation to know the cause of the fight that Adeniyi Samuel opened up and informed the police that Eluyera contracted him to kill his pregnant wife, Taiwo.
“He stated further that Eluyera promised to give him N10,000 for the job, out of which he already gave him N5,000, to pay the balance on completion of the job.
“In his confessional statement, he stated that he had twice bought food for her from one eatery and laced the food with poison, but the lady by providence did not eat the food.
“It was when all his personal efforts to kill her failed that he contracted Samuel to help him eliminate her.
“He confessed further that he personally took Samuel to the woman’s house, and he gave him her picture for easy identification.
“But when he didn’t carry out the assignment as agreed, he demanded a refund of the advance payment he made to him, and his refusal led to the fight which eventually led to their arrest.”
The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had ordered a full-scale investigation into the case with a view to arraigning the suspects.