A welder , Bidemi Akande , has allegedly killed the breadwinner of a family of seven children in the Ogba Ayo area of Ogun State.
Akande reportedly pushed the woman, Shakirat Fatusi , aka Olopa , and she slammed her head on the ground during a disagreement between them . The 43 – year- old woman was said to have gone into a coma and died at a trado – medical centre.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Shakirat sold pepper and drinks in a shop near her residence on Gabriel Onifade Street , Ogba Ayo .
Shakirat and Akande had reportedly kept each other at arm ’s length for sometime after she allegedly mediated in a fight involving Akande and his wife.
She was said to have gone to Akande ’s wife’ s shop around Ogba Ayo Under Bridge to buy pepper soup around 11 pm on Tuesday .
It was gathered that Akande arrived at the shop and met Shakirat and two others.
He reportedly made derogatory remarks about the victim, who became upset .
During a scuffle that ensued , Akande reportedly pushed her to the ground and she lost consciousness.
One of the deceased ’ s children , Bashirat Fatusi , said Akande promised that her mother would regain consciousness after 24 hours , adding that instead , her condition deteriorated.
She said , “ My mum wanted to buy pepper soup from Iya Tolani (Akande ’s wife) . While she was waiting , she and Baba Tolani (Akande ) started exchanging words . He came to report her to my father , but he was not around. He then reported her to Iya Idris , my father ’s sister , and went back to shop .
“ By the time I got there to see what was happening , my mother was lying on the ground . He fled , but people caught him. I demanded that she should be taken to a hospital , but he said there was no need for that. He said she would be fine in the next 24 hours .
“ We brought her home , but there was no improvement . We rushed her to Tofunmi Hospital in the morning . A test was conducted on her and the doctor said her sugar level had risen . She was referred to another hospital , from where we went to Ota General Hospital . Immediately we got there , a doctor referred us to a hospital in Abeokuta.
“ Somebody directed us to Dr . D . John Trado – medical Centre in the Gasline area. She died at the centre. The man said a charm was used to hit her . We called Baba Tolani to give her the antidote, but he refused . ”
Shakirat’ s husband , Segun Fatusi , who said he was at work when the incident happened , insisted that Akande killed his wife. He said she was hale and hearty prior to the scuffle .
“ We have seven children together and she was the one catering to them . He had been having disagreements with my wife because she always asked him not to beat his wife. If he had allowed people to take her to a hospital that night , she might have survived . It was when I came back from a hotel where I worked that we took her to the hospital ,” he said .
The deceased ’s in- law , Kayode Akanni , who took her to the trado – medical centre, said the native doctor wanted to administer a concoction on her when she gave up the ghost .
“ Before she died , I called the man (Akande ) on the telephone to bring the antidote; he said he was at Agege , Lagos State. When I called him again , he said he was at Ibafo . I asked him to tell me the antidote on the telephone , but he said he did not care if she died and he ended the call ,” he added .
Our correspondent learnt that Akande was arrested by a police team led by the Divisional Police Officer , Agbado Police Station , CSP Sunday Omonijo .
However , the suspect , a native of Akoko , Ondo State, denied using a charm to hit Shakirat.
He said , “After I returned home from work that day , I went to my wife ’s shop to eat . On getting there , I met an elderly man , Ajabale , doing the dishes for my wife.
“ One woman that was with us jokingly said , ‘ Baba Tolani , Ajabale is your wife’s husband. ’ In response , I prayed that God should not turn our destiny into a mess . I didn ’ t know that Olopa was at my back. She said I was referring to her and slapped me.
“ I went to report her to her husband, but he was not around . I reported her to a neighbour and he promised to settle the matter the following day . I went back to my wife ’s shop so that we could go home together .
“ As we wanted to leave , she descended on me again and started hitting me. She tore my clothes . People came out to separate us . She came back and gripped my clothes . I pushed her and she slumped. A mob beat me up .
“ I was at work the next day when my wife called me that Olopa had been rushed to a hospital . I told her to borrow me some money to take her to the hospital . I didn ’t use any charm on her .”
The Ogun State police spokesperson , ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department , Eleweran , on the orders of the state Commissioner of Police.
He said , “The suspect pushed the woman to the ground at a pepper soup joint during an argument and she gave up the ghost . The CP has directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the SCIID for further investigation .”