By Uju Mbanusi

Tragedy occurred recently at Oregun in Ikeja, Lagos when a 60- year- old woman lost her life while trying to settle a fight between her son and their next door neighbour.

The deceased’s husband who simply chose to be quoted as Mr. Adeolu, 63, from Ayetoro in Ekiti State, narrated how the ugly incident happened to Crime Alert.  “I went to Opebi that day. I was not at home when the fight started. When I got home around 8:30pm, I met my next door neighbor, Tawa Anifowoshe and my 17- year- old son, Odunayo Adeolu fighting.

From what I gathered, a customer came to buy roasted plantain (boli) from my wife’s stand that was being manned by our son Odunayo. My wife went to the church at Okoba to attend a programme. During the course of that transaction, there was an argument between my son and the customer over change. Then, I learnt that Tawa got involved in the matter and started fighting my son.

From what I gathered, she took the hot rice she was boiling and poured it on my son.   Not satisfied with that, she also hit him on the head with the pot and blood gushed out. The scar is still on my son’s head. At that point, my wife returned from the church. She saw blood gushing out of  her son’s head and asked Tawa what the matter was. On sighting my wife, Tawa grabbed her and said that Odunayo had been beating her since morning.  She started abusing my wife by calling her names to the extent that she even removed the wrapper she tied on her waist.

MD Abubakar, Police IG

“My wife told her that she had not been at home since morning, that she should calm down and explain what happened to her or if she did not feel like giving her that respect, she should go to  Odunayo and settle what every scores they had and leave her alone. But at that point,Tawa was  not listening to any plea made by other neighbours to let go of my wife. Rather,   she held my wife and was pushing her  here and there.

“In the process, she hit my wife on the chest with her elbow. My wife slumped. We carried her into our room and tried to revive her, thinking she just fainted, but all our efforts amounted to nothing. That was when we resolved to rush her to a nearby hospital. On getting there, the doctor, examined and declared her dead! It was the worst moment of my life. My wife of 40 years died just like that; it happened just like a drama, after bringing up our six children, Adeolu is our last child; instead of settling to enjoy the fruits of our labour, see how life was snuffed out of her. Though she has been buried, I am still trying to come to terms with the whole thing.”

When asked if they have been having any issues with the Anifowoshes prior to the incident; Mr. Adeolu said there was nothing of such, that  they had been living in peace as neighbours.

Crime Alert learnt that after the woman was pronounced dead,  Tawa, 27,  nursing mother,  was arrested, charged to court and remanded at kirikiri prisons.

In the testimony she gave in court, she  stated that she did not intend killing the deceased, that it was the handiwork of the devil. Narrating what transpired between her and Adeolu that evening, she said there was an argument over the balance Adeolu wanted to give their customer. As she wanted to intervene, he pulled off her wrapper from her waist, prompting her to pour the hot rice she was boiling on him, and also hit him with the pot, inflicting some injuries on him in the process. It was at that point that the deceased came  from the church.

“I did not know what I was doing, I must have been very angry, because I was not aware that she was very close to me, I fiercely flung my arms and my elbow hit her on the chest.  She slumped.   We later learnt that she has been suffering from heart disease. Maybe that must have contributed to her death.”

However, the deceased’s husband debunked this claim stating that his late wife had no record of heart disease, and that the autopsy result testified to that.