The deceased, attached to Igbologun Police
Station, Snake Island, Lagos State, was said to have been killed by her
husband during a quarrel over his alleged lover, Egnes.
The incident occurred on November 20,
about 10p.m., at Number 10, Sholake
Street, Iju-Ishaga area of the metropolis.
Before Mariam got married to Uche, she already had
three children. She married Uche three years ago who also came into the
marriage with a daughter.
Trouble was said to have started when Egnes visiting
Uche whenever Mariam goes to office. Mariam wouldn’t have known of the alleged
clandestine visits, but for some neighbours.
One of Mariam’s brothers, Mr. Kelvin Ndu, said that he
and other family members learnt about Mariam’s death the following day. The
family was not too happy about the delay in notifying them about Mariam’s
death.
According to Ndu, it was Mariam’s son, Gideon
Adaji, who alerted them of the incident.
Ndu said: “Uche told me that the quarrel between him
and Mariam started after a woman brought food to him. He said that Mariam
protested against the presence of the woman in their matrimonial home. Uche
said that he didn’t have food to eat at home, which was why he called Egnes to
bring food to the house for him and his daughter to eat. Uche said that when
Egnes brought the food; he was seated outside. He told her to take the
food into the house. Shortly after Egnes entered, Uche got up and went to
the backyard to do something.”
According to Uche, he was still at the backyard when
he heard screaming. He rushed to his apartment and met his wife fighting with
Egnes.
Ndu added: “Uche said when he rushed in; he met the
door to the sitting room locked. He said he forced it opened and asked
his wife what was the problem? He said Mariam accused him of bringing a strange
woman into their matrimonial home, while she was away. According to him, Mariam
asked him why he brought the woman home knowing she was at home. Uche
said he separated them and Egnes escaped, but Mariam ran after her and
then later returned and went into her room, while he stayed outside.
“According to him, a few minutes later, his
daughter, who was in her room when they were fighting, rushed out to inform me
that ‘Aunty’ had fainted.
“Uche said he rushed back into the room and
found Mariam on the floor. He claimed to have poured water on her and took her
to Ifako General Hospital where he was told he brought her to the hospital
dead. That same night, he said he took her body home and then called her first
son, Gideon, who is about 19 years old, to inform him about the
death of his mother.
“According to Uche, Gideon said he couldn’t come out;
that it was late and that their gate had been locked. He promised to see him
the following day.
“Uche said that he could not wait till the following
day. He went to pick Gideon at home and they both deposited the body at a
mortuary in Agege after that Gideon called his mother’s family members to
inform them of what happened.”
Mariam’s family, suspicious because Uche allegedly
didn’t report the case to them, reported the case to the Paint House Police
Station at Iju. Uche and Egnes were arrested.
Ndu said: “The case was transferred to the State
Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for further
investigations. To our shock, Uche was released by the policemen four days later. Even before the outcome of autopsy result.”
Ndu accused the police of compromising the
investigation. He called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi
Edgal, to ensure that his sister gets justice.
“As we speak, neither Uche nor his
family members had visited our family to commiserate with us and
possibly, plan for Mariam’s burial. Uche paid bride price of his wife. He
thinks he does not owe us explanation of what happened to our sister. He has to
tell us the cause of our sister’s death,” Ndu said.
Gideon said: “I spoke with her on that fateful day she
died. I promised to see her at 9p.m. But I couldn’t
make it due to my work.”
The landlord of the house, who does not want his name
in print, said: “I saw the policewoman on the day of the incident. She was
running after Egnes; we tried to intervene. I calmed her down and she explained
to me, why she was angry. I asked the husband why he brought another woman into
their matrimonial home, instead of going to a hotel. Uche responded that I
shouldn’t mind what his wife was saying. After Mariam went in, I heard a
noise between husband and wife. A few minutes later, the husband rushed to
me, calling for my assistance; he said that his wife had fainted. I rushed
into their room; I met the woman on the floor. I raised her hand, she
was weak. I told the husband to take his wife to the hospital as she was
dying. I rushed down to one of my tenants who has a car to assist in taking her
to the hospital. I returned to their apartment to discover that the policewoman
was dead.
“I told Uche that his wife was dead, that he should
call the police. He said that he would carry the body to the hospital before
calling the police.”
One of Uche’s neighbours, who does not want his name
mentioned, claimed that Uche beat his wife to death because of another woman.
The neighbour said: “Uche’s mistress used to bring
food to him whenever the policewoman was not around. The policewoman comes home
once a week due to the distance of her workplace to her home. I heard him
calling for help, saying that his wife had fainted. He was the one who
beat the woman for daring to attack his visitor before the woman fainted.
That was not the first time Uche would be beating his wife.”
The Lagos state Police Public Relations
Officer (PPRO), a Superintendent of Police (SP), Chike Oti, said the police did
not compromise as alleged.
He said: “The husband is not a culprit.
The policewoman had altercation with another woman and one thing led to the
other she slumped and died.
“The policewoman did not fight with her
husband and we cannot keep him in the cell that was why we released him. But we
are investigating the woman that fought with the policewoman.”
Mother of three arrested for
impersonating Police Inspector
Sola
Adeyemo, Ibadan
A mother of three, Alimat Kemi Mustapha has been
arrested for impersonating a Police Inspector in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Mustapha, 40, who was arrested on December 15, 2017,
told policemen attached to Oyo State Police Command that she was dismissed as a
Police Sergeant in 2007, but impersonated an Inspector in order to dupe
unsuspecting Nigerians.
The suspect, who was alleged to be wearing full
Inspector of Police uniform, was presented to journalists at the Eleyele Police
Headquarters by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude.
Mustapha confessed that she did not return her
police kits after she was dismissed in Abuja.
Odude said: "The impostor, wearing police
uniform with an Inspector rank, was arrested by the Owode-Ogbomoso Police
Division on December 15, 2017 around 1.00 pm, after she fraudulently bought
electronics worth N600, 000 from one Vincent Nwachi at a shop located at Takie
Isale area of Ogbomoso with an assurance that she would pay through money
transfer.
The CP explained: "Investigation revealed that
the suspect was dismissed in 2007, but did not return police kits in her
possession. Before her arrest, she had been using the police uniform to obtain
goods and services from unsuspecting innocent members of the public. She has
confessed to the crime and will soon be arraigned in court.”
Odude said: "I have three children. My husband
is dead. I was dismissed as a sergeant in Abuja before I relocated to Oyo
State. I’m from Oyo State. I did not submit my police kits, but I later started
presenting myself as an Inspector rank.”
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