Man sets wife ablaze for ‘kissing’

Janet

Janet's burnt rear-view

Janet with Kehinde

When Janet Udegba, 35, ran into her former lover, Kehinde Adesamuye, 39, in Lagos State, she thought mother luck was finally smiling on her and turning the wheels of her misfortunes in relationship and romance.

Janet was just budding into womanhood when she met and fell in love with Kehinde. For reasons best known to the fates, Janet and Kehinde lost contacts.

Before they met again, a lot of waters had gone under the bridges.

In the ensuing years after they parted, Kehinde had not only built a house in Lagos, but is working as a motor park tout at Ikotun round about, where easy money continually flows through his fingers. Kehinde, from Ondo State, had also married and had four kids.

Janet on the other hand, had married, struggled to make it work and last, but finally took a bow off the stage of her marital home. She was living the life of a spinster, single and searching frantically for love, when wind of life blew Kehinde her way.

But the romance and bliss she had dreamt of, yearned to have with the love of her life, turned to nightmare after Kehinde turned her to his punching bag.

Like the classical African woman and wife, she had bore the blows and pains, but on September 11, 2012, the punching took a turn for something more horrifying. Something Janet, in her wildest imagination, never believed that her lover/husband could ever do to her.

Kehinde, in a fit of jealousy rage, had bought a keg of fuel, crept up to Janet as she was preparing indomie for a customer, at the Iktorun round about where she had her shop, poured the fuel on her.

Everything within and around exploded due to the fire and heat from the stove. Janet instantly became a ball of fire, as she ran and screamed in pains, rolling on ground, fighting to douse the flames which were fast licking through her body.

Traders, who were nearby, quickly scampered out of the way, while others tried to fetch water and douse the fire on Janet.

The Nigerian Compass heard that people were shocked to their bone marrows when they saw Kehinde, rather than be shocked at what he had done to his love, stared at her screaming form hissed and strolled to buy and lit a cigarette, before he left the scene.

When our correspondent met her at the Peaceful Convalescent Centre hospital, Ejigbo on Sunday afternoon, she narrated her terrifying experience;

According to her, after the flame was doused, sysmpathisers rushed her to one Blessing Hospital in Isheri area. The next morning, she was moved to Igando General Hospital due to the severe nature of the burnt. When she got to Igando General Hospital, she was allegedly not attended to, even though she was weeping in pains. Four hours after her arrival at the Hospital, she was told that there was no bed space.

Speaking in gasps of pains, Janet pleaded with the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State government and nongovernmental organizations, especially ‘Project Alert-Violence Against Women’- not to allow Kehinde to go scot free for what he had done to her.

She recalled that after they ran into each other years after they had parted, their love had seemingly blossomed. The man had promised to marry her, despite the fact that he was already married and had four kids.  He told that he could not imagined life without Janet. And like most women, desperate for love, she fell hook, line and sinker for his lines.

She was ready to believe his love, especially since her friends told our correspondent that it was Kehinde who deflowered her.

To buttress his serious intentions, he rented an apartment for her. Many people, including her friends and sister, addressed her as, ‘Kehinde’s second wife-Iyawo-“

Friends of Janet also told our correspondent that even before he rented the apartment, Kehinde had already started pummeling her black and blue.

Narrating the genesis of her predicament, the Delta State born lady, said: “My husband has always been a jealous. He used to beat me every time, under any guise and excuse. I’ve tried several times to leave him, but he always threatens to harm me. I stayed with him because I was afraid of him and my life. He always told me that I could never escape from him, except I leave Lagos State. Anytime I saw I was leaving him, he would say, no problem, but that he would do something to me which I would not forget. Now, see what he had done to me. He wanted to kill me.

“I used to sell indomie at Ikotun round about. There are other men and women selling there too. We’re all friends. Last two weeks Friday, one the traders had a baby. We went for the naming ceremony. Kehinde was there with me. One of the traders gave me a drink; I just took a sip because I was in my flow.

“That was how it all started. He said I was kissing another man in his presence. He said that I sipped from the bottle that the man drank from. Right there, he started threatening that he was going to deal with me when we get home. To be on the safe side, I called my younger sister, telling her that I might come over to spend the night at her place. I didn’t want him to beat me. When we got home, he cursed, abused and said all sort of things, but I didn’t respond or replied because I didn’t want him to pounce on me. This behavior continued till Saturday. He even kicked off the bed, but I didn’t mind. I slept on the floor. When I woke up on Sunday, he had gone out. I rushed to take my bath because I wanted to leave the house before he came back. But he suddenly came back, and started beating me for no reason. He beat so much that I thought he was going to kill me. It was due to the intervention of our landlord that he left me. After that beating, I moved in with my younger sister.”

For reasons best known to Kehinde, he started sending friends to Janet’s shop, to beg on his behalf. He wanted her to forgive him and come back. But she refused.

On that fateful day, Kehinde came to the shop with another friend to beg once more, but Janet told him that she was through with the relationship.

Fuming, Kehinde jumped up from his seat, told her that he had nothing against leaving, but that he was going to show her. And before one could say Jack Robison, Janet was a ball of running and finally rolling fire!

The following day, Kehinde was arrested by policemen as he was strolling along the streets of Ikotun.

Janet claimed that she was not the only one receiving the fist of Kehinde, that Kehinde’s wife is also a victim.

Her words: “Whenever I tell him to go and see his wife and children, he would say I was sending him away because I wanted to go and meet another man. Government should make sure Kehinde pays for what he did to me. I am an orphan. I have no father or mother. I sell indomie to make money and live. Now, I’ve spent all my money. In fact, I need help!”

Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide who confirmed the incident, explained that, ‘the two of them had been living as husband and wife and had a misunderstanding. The man used substance on her, which we’re not sure of what it is. It is a mixture of some certain things. But the man would be charged to the Ejigbo magistrates’ court.”

Kehinde was supposed to be charged to court on last week Monday, but nobody, especially Janet knew why police did not take to court.

Rather to go to court, Kehinde’s family members and friends, besieged the Peaceful Convalescent Centre hospital, begging or threatening Janet not to allow the matter to go to court. Janet became frightened. Crying, she said: “Please let the police and those women NGO to fight for me. I want the matter to be charged to court. I want justice. I want justice.”

On Wednesday, Braide told the Saturday Compass that Kehinde still had not been charged to court, but did not state why. She however added that he might be taken to court before the week runs out, meanwhile, Kehinde’s people continued to trouble Janet.

Meanwhile, angry reactions have continued to trail the bathing of Janet with petrol by her supposed husband.  Some of the angriest were traders and friends, who had interacted with Janet.

The Network on Police Reforms(NOPRIN), was not only angry about the incident, but  had made valid efforts to make that the Lagos State Police Command protect Janet from Kehinde’s people who had been going to the hospital, causing her fear. NOPRIN had also tried to draw the attention of Project Alert-Violence Against Women-to Janet’s predicament.

Spokesman for NOPRIN, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma said: “NOPRIN condemns the vicious and unjustifiable attack on Mrs. Janet

Udegba (35) an Indomie Seller at Ejigbo on Tuesday, by her husband, Kehinde Adesamuye who bathed her with fuel and ignited fire which inflicted severe burns on her. It is unimaginable that a man could attempt to murder his wife by spraying fuel on her and causing her such severe bodily injury. This is an act of cruelty which must not be tolerated in any civilised society!

“Women must be protected from violence in the hands of barbaric spouses. Violence against women remains widespread in Nigeria protected by cultural and religious notions and beliefs that perceive and treat women as inferior objects. This prejudice is encouraged and sustained by the failure of the criminal justice system to effectively punish perpetrators and guarantee equal rights and protection for women.

“Consequently, several women have suffered seriously injury, deformity or even death in the hands of their abusive spouses or partners. Many women continue to die in silence, often living under perpetual servitude, fear and threat in the name of marriage. Such women are subjects to emotional and psychological torment and trauma.

“This is unacceptable! Law enforcement agents must appropriately punish offenders and deter such barbaric instincts and disposition among some men. This case must not be treated as mere assault. It is a case of attempted murder. The perpetrator must be charged and tried under the Domestic Violence Law of Lagos State 2007. He must be handed the maximum possible punishment under the law to deter others.”