A 30-year-old man, Motunrayo Olaniyi, has allegedly stabbed his newlywed wife, Olajumoke, to death at Amazing Grace Estate, Elepe in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The incident was said to have occurred on Friday after a heated argument between the couple.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that the husband attacked his wife after accusing her of being pregnant for his younger brother.
The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement by its spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Saturday, said Motunrayo stabbed the 25-year-old wife multiple times during the altercation, locked her in the room, and set it on fire.
He added that the suspect also inflicted wounds on himself after committing the act.
A team of policemen who arrived at the scene were however said to have extinguished the fire and after that discovered Olajumoke’s lifeless body with abdominal wounds.
The statement read in part, “A distress call was received on October 4 at Ikorodu Division that a newly wedded couple, one Motunrayo Olaniyi, aged 30, and his wife Olajumoke, aged 25 years, allegedly engaged in a domestic scuffle in their room at Amazing Grace Estate, Elepe, Ikorodu.
“In the process, the husband reportedly stabbed the wife to death, locked her in the room, and set it ablaze, while he inflicted wounds on himself.
“Police from the Ikorodu Division responded to a distress call and put out the fire. They found Olajumoke’s lifeless body with abdominal wounds.”
The police spokesperson further stated that Olaniyi was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital where he was treated and discharged before being taken into police custody.
According to him, a preliminary investigation later revealed that the suspect stabbed his wife during the altercation and inflicted minor wounds on himself.
“The corpse has been deposited at Ikorodu General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Investigation is in progress”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, a source in the community who spoke to our correspondent said the wife was six months pregnant before her death.
The source said, “The man accused the wife of being pregnant for his own younger brother and it was not the first time he made the allegation before killing his wife on Friday. The younger brother is even shocked at the whole thing now, wondering why his elder brother did not accuse him of such and that he would have defended himself.”
Another police source who was privy to the incident said the suspect had attacked his wife in the presence of his mother-in-law earlier in the week.
The source said, “After attacking his wife, her wife’s mother claimed he was possessed by an evil spirit and decided to take him to the church. After praying for him, he returned home and the mother-in-law went back to her house. It was after she left that he attacked her again on Friday and killed her for allegedly having an affair with his brother.”