By OKOSUN DENNIS
For some residents of New Town Estate, Ogombo-Ajah, the Sallah celebration wasn’t cheerful for them as a tenant in the estate beat his wife to death for refusing her sex.
The man identified as Ganiyu Gbolahon, was said to have abandoned the wife about two years ago in preference for another woman, who was formerly married to another man with three kids.
It was gathered that the man who had also suspected the wife of infidelity, decided to plant “Magun” juju on her; a traditional medicine that has the potency of killing any man that makes love to her.
Narrating to National Daily at No 4, New Town Estate, one of the residents of the bungalow where the woman was living before she beaten to death on Sunday, disclosed that the man has been tormenting the wife for too long.
The landlord’s wife where they live, Mrs Kamoru Akapo said “Ganiyu is a very wicked man.
He abandoned his wife about two years ago and every time he deemed it necessary to come, he will always beat her to coma. When my husband challenged him, he accused my husband of sleeping with his wife.
“He went ahead to plant “Magun” on her and went away and started staying with another woman in Green estate, a woman who already had three children for another man. His thinking was that he has been waiting to hear that someone one dies sleeping with her,” she added.
The Kogi born man, a Keke Marwa rider and ply Ogombo road to Ajah market, was said to have married the woman over a decade ago and have four children who are aged between three to 12 years old.
When National Daily visited the house on Tuesday morning, a crowd of wailing women expressed how the man had maltreated the woman before she eventually died from injuries suffered from his beating on Sunday.
Another resident, Mr Adekunle, who spoke to our reporter disclosed that since the man eloped with another woman, Ganiyu has been attacking his wife at the slightest opportunity.
It was also gathered that the woman whom Ganiyu eloped with sells local gin called “Agbo” and had on several occasion fought the deceased woman at her house and in the market tiring her dress.
National Daily further learnt that the deceased woman was from Igbesa community in Awori area of Lagos state and was about 35 years old. She hawked snacks around to sustain the family.
Mrs Akapo said that in the last six months, the man usually come home at night ostensibly to have sex with the estranged wife and when she turns down his advances, it was usually met with serious beating, most times with swollen face.
On Sunday, he was said to have come again to meet the wife. Sooner than she entered the house than quarrel started leading to manhandling her. “She was bartered until she started bleeding from her eyes,” a neighbour narrated.
Later, Mama Lati, as popularly known, was said to have held her stomach and begged for help which necessitated neighbours to rush her to Beta Life Clinic, Ogombo where drip was administered. When it was obvious there was no improvement, the family members took her to the family house where she eventually died.
Mrs Akapo further narrated: “He does not give the woman money for upkeep neither does he pay for children’s school fees nor feeding. Despite her struggle, he will come and beat her.
“The woman that he eloped with have fought her in this house, at the bus stop at Ogombo and in Ajah market. They just wanted the woman dead. There was even a time the police at Ogombo arrested the man after Mama Lati complained of brutalization. After being held and were about charging him to court, the deceased woman still begged for his release.”
When asked if the matter was reported at the Police Station in Ogombo, the wife to the landlord said no. “The family of the deceased have buried the woman according to Islamic rites and promised to deal with the man in their traditional way.”
“However, immediately the man learnt the wife had died, he ran into his room and absconded with the four children to an unknown destination,” Mrs Akapo said.