29th November, 2010
Policemen at the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria are presently trying to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a housewife, Mrs. Modinat Azeez, who died last week at Ijora Oloye, Badia, after a scuffle with her husband.
The husband, Moruf Kaballah, 32, who is being detained at SCID, Panti, however, denied beating her.
Police sources at the Badia Police Station where the matter was first reported, disclosed that the matter was made more complicated by the hurried burial of the woman the following day by her husband’s family.
While the wife’s relations insisted that she was beaten to death, family of the husband said there was nothing like that. The latter explained that the deceased was ill and died after taking a local concoction prepared by a herbalist.
Some neighbours who spoke with P.M.NEWS on the incident said there was a scuffle between the man and the deceased on the day of the incident.
Spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the death of the woman but disclosed that the police are yet to identify the cause of the death.
“As at now, we cannot say categorically that this was what happened. We have commenced investigation to determine the cause of her death. The matter is made more complicated by the fact that the woman has been buried. We cannot say anything now until an autopsy is conducted,†he stated.
Mba also told P.M.NEWS that the suspect told the police that the woman was ill and that he prepared some herbal medicine for her, adding that she died after taking the herb.
P.M.NEWS investigations at the residence of the deceased revealed further that the relationship between the suspect and the deceased was far from being cordial.
“They were always fighting. I have been to the house several times to settle quarrels between them. The husband is well known for always maltreating the woman,†a neighbour, who identified himself as James, told P.M.NEWS.
—Dedeigbo Ayodeji
