Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command are investigating how a man named Sunday allegedly beat his wife, Habibat Bakare, to death in the Ipaja area of the state.
The brother of the deceased, Lookman Bakare, who confirmed the incident said Habibat had previously suffered domestic violence from her husband on multiple occasions before ultimately succumbing to her injuries.
He mentioned that he was at a bus stop early that morning when he saw Habibat and her husband ride past him on a motorcycle in a suspicious manner.
About an hour later, he received a call informing him of his sister’s death. Lookman recounted, “I was waiting for a friend to attend a party at the bus stop around 5:15 AM when I saw Habibat and her husband drive past me on a motorcycle, with Habibat lying on his back. One hour later, I received a call saying that Habibat was dead. I was shocked. When I arrived, I found my sister’s body. I asked her husband if he hadn’t just passed by me with Habibat that morning, and he admitted it was true.”
He added, “I also inquired why Habibat’s clothes had changed in that one hour, but he couldn’t answer. Those who took her body to the mortuary noted that they saw bruises on her legs.”
Another family member, who wished to remain anonymous, informed a correspondent that the husband had attempted to leave his wife’s corpse with the family when he was caught. This family member stated that Habibat, a mother of two, had frequently been beaten by her husband.
“The husband tried to drop her body off with the family when he was caught and handed over to the police. He had beaten her repeatedly before the incident that led to her death,” the family source said.
When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident. He stated that the suspect is in custody and an investigation is underway.
“The suspect is in our custody, and the case is now being handled by the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yaba,” the PPRO said.
