Lagos Teacher Stabs Former Lover To Death Few Days To His Marriage.
A teacher identified as Jacinta Igboke, who works at a private primary school in Lagos, has been arrested and held in police custody for the murder of her former lover, Arinze Ani.
Igboke allegedly stabbed Ani to death on Tuesday during an argument at his shop on Old Ojo Road, Satellite Town area of the state.
Reports gathered revealed that Ani, who sells soap chemicals, was set to get married on January 4, 2020, after his relationship with Igboke ended. The relationship led to the birth of a boy, who is now 18 months old.
It was revealed that what began as true love in 2016 went bad shortly after Igboke got pregnant.
The issue, resulted in a clash on Tuesday when the teacher went to Ani’s shop to ask for money for the upkeep of their child.
The demand resulted in an argument during which Igboke stabbed Ani in the chest.
The 29-year-old native of Ebonyi State shared the chain of events leading to the incident prior to her by the police from the Satellite Division led by CSP Chike Oti, the Divisional Police Officer.
She narrated, “I am a primary school teacher. Arinze (Ani) and I got into a relationship in 2016. I got pregnant for him in the process but his parents said we cannot marry each other because I was older than him and that he must marry somebody from his village. He was born on November 19, 1990 while I was born on 29 October, 1990. They said they would only accept the baby.”
“His brother and sister lived with us, but the sister later left after she got married. Six months after I gave birth, I went out one day but when I came back, I found out that they had packed out.”
“I went back to the police station in July 2019 and they invited him. He said he didn’t want to marry me. The police told him he must take care of the baby and instructed him to give me N10,000, one carton of noodles and rice every month for his upkeep.”
“Since then, he never bought any foodstuff for the baby and he didn’t pay the N10,000. All he did was to send N2,000 or N3,000 into my account. Most times, I had to go to his shop to ask for the money.”
“I also reminded him that the house rent had expired since March and asked him when he would renew it. He beat me up and I left. On Saturday, his uncle called me on the phone and we met somewhere close to my house. He advised me to stop fighting him (Ani) and that I should not take the case to the police again.”
“He promised to settle the whole issue. I showed him alerts of what Arinze sent to me monthly. I told him there would not be any problem as long as he performed his duty. I called the uncle on Monday morning and asked if he had talked to Arinze. He said I should not worry and promised to call me back in 30 minutes.”
“He later called and promised to bring something for us in the evening. I told him there was nothing for the child to eat. I got angry and told him that Arinze claimed he didn’t have money, yet he was planning to wed on January 4, 2020. He said I shouldn’t think like that; and that it could be that someone was footing the wedding expenses. I told him there was no way Arinze would not spend money to organise the wedding.”
“I told him I would go to Arinze’s shop but he warned me not to go. I went there the first time but he was not around. I then went to a market to buy some clothes for my child. I went back to the shop and showed him the clothes. I asked him to give me money so I could buy shoes and some other things the boy needed. He pushed me away and a bike almost hit me.”
“I entered his shop again angrily and he pushed me. I fell on a pavement and hit my head on the ground. I then picked up a knife in self-defence. I didn’t know when I stabbed him,”.
“I learnt my child is with Arinze’s relation but I want him to be taken to an orphanage until my family comes to carry him. I know I may not see my son again and I don’t even deserve to live. Arinze’s family may maltreat him because of their hatred for me,.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, said the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
He said, “We received a distress call that the woman allegedly stabbed her boyfriend on the right side of the chest, killing him in the process. A police team mobilised to the location where the suspect was rescued from a mob and the body of the victim recovered.”
“The body of the victim was taken to the mortuary for autopsy. The suspect and the victim were lovers and between them is a male child of about one and half years whose upkeep is believed to be the source of their constant quarrels.”