As for “Daily Trust” newspaper, its candidate for the attention of Interpol was there for all to see on its front page on December 1, 2020.
Headline: “MY HUSBAND IS TOO VIOLENT, MIGHT KILL ME, WOMAN TELLS COURT.”
“A businesswoman, Nafisat Olajire, on Monday, petitioned a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve her 18-year marriage to her husband, Sarafa Olajire, because he often attempts to strangle her.
The mother of two who lives at Olunkemi-Olomi in Ibadan testified before Chief Ademola Odunade, the president of the court, that her husband had held her neck to the state of unconsciousness before and that it took special medical intervention before she was revived.
“My lord, I have not had peace of mind for the past 18 years of my marriage to Sarafa due to his cruelty to me through constant battery and humiliation in public places.
In fact, he is usually aiming at taking my life no matter who is watching him.
The last one he did that led to the filing of this suit was when he squeezed my neck and I fainted.
That was not Sarafa’s first time of attempting to kill me; he often boasts even in front of my parents that he would one day terminate my life.
“In addition, he does not dignify me because he frequently strips me naked. Sarafa also hunts me about in town, threatening that he would slaughter me,” Nafisat said.
However, the respondent who earns his livelihood as a vulcaniser opposed the suit, but could not deny most of the allegations levelled against him.
Sarafa, who resides at Olomi-Academy area of Ibadan, submitted that his wife was highly disobedient and unwilling to abide by his instructions.
Odunade consequently dissolved the marriage, citing threat to life as the reason. He granted custody of the two children produced by the union to the petitioner.
The arbitrator ordered Sarafa to pay N10,000 as the children’s monthly feeding allowance in addition to being responsible for their education among other things.”
For Interpol, “Daily Trust” newspaper has become compulsory reading on account of its succession of front page headlines devoted to reports which should be thoroughly investigated.
(i) Headline: (November 22, 2020) “TEACHER “RAPES” MINOR TO DEATH IN BAYELSA”
“A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped to death by Mr. Promise Sylvanus Ogun. a teacher in one of the government secondary schools in Bayelsa State, Mr. Promise Sylvanus Ogun.
The 30-year-old teacher, in the school located in Toroegbeni, Sagbama Local Government Area of the state, was said to have waylaid and molested the girl twice in March 2020 near the community stream where she had gone to take her bath.
The father of the girl, Mr. Pinaowei Gana, said the girl did not initially report the abuse until she took ill.
“She kept it to herself and was bleeding little by little until two months later, when we noticed some strange smell while she was sick. We took her to a local massage therapist and he told us that the child had been defiled and infected.
We took her back to tell my landlord and some elders who questioned her, and she confirmed it was the teacher. The teacher pleaded that I should not go to the police but that he will pay for her treatment and settle with the family. He took her to a private hospital in Opolo where she was admitted for over a week. But he came back and discharged the child without doctor’s advice and dumped her with me. Two days later, the girl died,” he explained.
The deceased’s father also confirmed that after he raised alarm over the death of his child, “the accused and his entire family packed out of the area.”
The father to the accused however offered to deposit the corpse of the girl at a mortuary along Amassoma Road pending the resolution of the matter.”
In a twist of events, the alleged rapist, after owning up before family and compound chiefs that he raped the deceased and paid her hospital bill, made a U-turn by filing a report at the police area command in Sagbama over alleged threat to his life by the deceased’s father.
Already, some civil society groups including the Girl Response Initiative Team set up by the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Gloria Diri, and the DOF Foundation led by Barr. Dise Ogbise-Erhisere have vowed to take over the matter.
Commenting on the development, the Founder of the DOF Foundation, Barr. Dise Ogbise-Erhisere, confirmed that the deceased died from complications arising from rape.
“A crime has been committed and the culprit has admitted to the crime. The police need to ensure he is arrested and prosecuted.
“We urge the police authorities to transfer the case from Area Command in Sagbama to the state police headquarters in Yenagoa for proper investigation,” she said.
When contacted, the police spokesman, SP Asinim Butswat, said the rape case has not been officially reported to the police.”
(ii) Headline: (November 29, 2020: “DAUGHTER BUTCHERS OWN MOTHER IN AKWA IBOM”
“The police in AkwaIbom State have confirmed the arrest of a young woman identified as Mary Imewe for allegedly killing and butchering her own mother in IkotEkpene Local Government Area of the State.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Odiko Macdon who confirmed the incident to our correspondent following an inquiry on a trending video of the incident on Twitter, said the suspect is currently in custody and investigations were ongoing in the matter.
He stated that it was unnerving for a daughter to butcher her mother to death, noting that the police would have to get medical personnel to certify her state of mind before she is charged to court.
“That story is true. She butchered her mom. We are suspecting that she is not of sound mind but we do not have any medical capacity to say so. A medical personnel will have to determine if she is of sound mind or not. If not, which right minded, thinking individual will kill her own mom by butchering her?
As I speak, we have her in custody. We have gathered the corpse of the mom and deposited it in the mortuary. By the time we ascertain her state of mind, we will charge her accordingly.
“We have conducted preliminary investigations and more discreet investigations are on the way and she will be charged to court immediately after that,” he said.
“Daily Trust on Sunday” reports that an eyewitness, who reported the incidence on Twitter, showed videos of the suspect carrying the butchered parts of her mother, known as EkaIme, in a basin.
The witness said, “This girl that butchered her mother in IkotEkpene still has the mouth (guts) to tell the police to take her anywhere they want.
She said it herself that she doesn’t care. Elders of the community made sure she carried her dead mother’s body on her head which she butchered into pieces. She has been arrested by the police.”
