The Ogun State Police Command has launched an investigation into the murder of Ayobami Ayanwale, a mother of three, reportedly by her husband, Ayoola Ayanwale, who later died in a suspected suicide.
The incident occurred on Thursday night at Olutayo Alao Street, River Valley Estate, Ojodu Berger, and was followed by another development in the Sotubo region on Friday, when Mrs. Ayanwale was discovered gasping for air in an open field.
It was said that Mrs. Ayanwale was stabbed by her husband during a domestic quarrel, resulting in fatal injuries. She was apparently brought to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead by a doctor.
Chronicle NG gathered that the woman’s three children have since been placed in the care of relatives.
A security source who attended the apartment informed the press that the police found three knives and promptly initiated a manhunt for the culprit, whose body was eventually found in Sotubo.
According to the security officer, items found on him included a vial of suspicious liquid, two mobile phones, a voter card, and an ATM card, all of which corroborated his involvement in the earlier murder.
Meanwhile, a couple’s neighbor, identified on X as @Irebamiolakanmi, said the killing was the result of a lengthy history of domestic abuse.
She claimed that the suspect stabbed his wife five times in front of their children after reportedly sending the first child to get sniper, a toxic substance known locally, and pouring it into a pot of food.
According to her, the dead refused to consume the food, so the man attacked her.
“This man stabbed his wife five times, and he is on the run. For someone who comes home once or twice a year, someone who does not care how the children were fed or how their school fees were paid. She once told me she was always happy when he was not around because that was when she had peace of mind.
“I told her to leave. I shared my own story with her and told her that domestic violence should not be endured, but she said she had three children. Now that the man has killed her, who will take care of the children?” the neighbor wrote.
She also stated that the murder happened before the eyes of the children.
“He killed his wife in the presence of his three children. He sent his first child to buy poison and poured it into the food. She refused to eat, and then he stabbed her five times.
“Imagine a 12- or 13-year-old girl witnessing the murder of her mother. She died when she finally summoned the courage to leave him. Never extend grace to a violent marriage. Leave early,” she wrote.
The deceased’s brother described the incident to TVC, saying, “She called me and said that her husband had stabbed her and that I should start coming. I was coming from the highland. I rushed to the hospital, but before we got there, she had passed.”
A young girl living with the family stated that the man had previously given her money to leave the residence on the night of the incident, but she declined.
She also said that the suspect had poisoned a pot of soup.
“He said he was about to do something he did not want me to be involved in. He said he wanted to do something about Grandpa, but he did not tell me about Mummy,” she said.
A friend of the deceased also revealed that Ayobami had previously suffered abuse in the marriage.
“There was a time she called me and said that she was very sick. When I came, I saw bruises all over her neck. She was beaten badly. That was around August last year. I advised her to get another apartment. She said she found one, but her husband’s sisters abroad told her not to leave,” the friend said.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the incident and stated, “The case has been harmonized and transferred to the State CID for investigation. Their bodies have been deposited in the mortuary, respectively.”
