A 30-year-old man, Motunrayo Olaniyi, has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his pregnant wife and setting her body on fire in their apartment at Amazing Grace Estate in the Elepe community of Ikorodu, Lagos.
The newlywed couple reportedly engaged in a disagreement that escalated into a violent confrontation around 1 p.m. on Friday. Olaniyi allegedly accused his six-month-pregnant wife, Olajumoke, of infidelity, claiming that one of his brothers was responsible for her pregnancy, which she denied.
Before this tragic incident, neighbors informed Vanguard that Olaniyi had previously attacked Olajumoke in her mother’s presence. One neighbor, who requested anonymity, stated, “They had their traditional marriage three months ago when Jumoke was three months pregnant. Suddenly, problems began. He accused her of promiscuity, insisting that the child she carried was not his but his younger brother’s. Earlier in the week, he attacked her in front of her mother, who took him to church for deliverance prayers, suspecting he needed help.”
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin, confirmed the arrest, stating, “On Friday, October 4, a distress call was received at the Ikorodu division regarding a domestic altercation between Olaniyi and his 25-year-old wife, Olajumoke. During the altercation, the husband allegedly stabbed his wife to death, locked her in the room, and set the apartment ablaze while inflicting wounds on himself.
“Detectives responded to the scene, extinguished the fire, and discovered Olajumoke’s lifeless body on the floor with stab wounds to her abdomen. The husband was found with injuries, rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, discharged, and subsequently taken into police custody.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect stabbed his wife during their altercation and inflicted mild wounds on himself. The body has been transferred to the Ikorodu General Hospital morgue for an autopsy, and an investigation is ongoing.”
