The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Sunday for allegedly beating his wife, Habibat Bakare, to death in the Ipaja area of the state.
The victim’s brother, Lookman Bakare, who spoke to Punch on Monday, 9 December 2024, said that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday.
According to Bakare, the victim had suffered domestic violence from her husband on several occasions before she eventually succumbed to death.
He added that on the said date, he was at the bus stop in the early hours of the day when he saw the victim and her husband ride past him on a bike in a suspicious manner.
He said about an hour later, he received a call from someone informing him of his sister’s death.
“I was waiting for a friend with whom we were to attend a party at the bus stop on Saturday at about 5:15 a.m. when I saw Habibat and her husband drive by on a motorcycle with Habibat lying on his back,” he narrated.
“About one hour later, I received a call to come over that Habibat was dead. I was surprised, and on getting there, I met the dead body of my sister. I asked the husband if I did not see him and his wife drive past me that morning, and he acknowledged it to be true.”
“I also asked him why the clothes Habibat was wearing had changed within the one hour that I saw them, but he could not say anything. Those who took her body to the mortuary said they saw bruises on her leg.”
Another member of the family told the publication that the husband had attempted to dump his wife’s corpse with the family when he was apprehended.
The family member said that the mother of two had, on several occasions, been beaten by her husband.
The husband attempted to drop her body with the family when he was caught and handed over to the police.
“He had repeatedly beaten her before the last one that led to her death,” the family source said.
The spokesperson for the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect is in police custody and an investigation has begun into the matter.
“The suspect is in our custody, and the case is now being handled by the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba,” the PPRO said.
