A 25-year-old woman, Kehinde Onizeokaraga, has died after being allegedly attacked with a machete by her husband, Sodiq Ibrahim, during what was meant to be a peace meeting over their troubled marriage in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
According to a cousin of the deceased, Yussuf Lawrence, Kehinde had been preparing to leave Ado Ekiti when she was invited to the residence of a family friend on Wednesday morning, unaware that her husband would also be there.
"While Kehinde was preparing to leave Ado Ekiti, she was invited to the residence of her father's friend, who they said wanted to see her. Kehinde went to the residence on Wednesday morning, unaware that her husband would also be present," Lawrence said.
He said what began as an attempt to mend the couple's relationship quickly turned violent.
"An attempt to resolve the couple's marital disagreement subsequently degenerated into the fatal attack," he added.
The couple, both from Kogi State, had reportedly been going through difficulties even before the fatal encounter.
A source familiar with the matter said Kehinde had previously left the marital home over what were described as irreconcilable differences, and had been resistant to recent efforts by her husband to reconcile.
"I am aware they had issues in the marriage to the extent that the lady had left the man's house due to some irreconcilable differences. But recently, there were efforts by the suspect to resolve the issue with her, which the deceased was not comfortable with," the source said.
Ibrahim, a meat seller by trade, allegedly attacked his wife repeatedly with a machete, inflicting injuries that proved fatal.
He reportedly fled the scene afterwards and remained at large as of Thursday.
Her body has since been deposited in a mortuary.
Lawrence said some individuals connected to the incident had been taken into police custody, though Ibrahim himself had not yet been found.
He also alleged that Ibrahim fled with Kehinde's mobile phone, which the family believes may hold information useful to investigators.
Speaking on behalf of the grieving family, he made an appeal for justice.
"We want Sadiq (Ibrahim) to be found and arrested. We want justice for Kehinde. Her parents are in pain, and my family is in serious agony. She didn't deserve this," he said.
Confirming the incident, the Ekiti State Police Command's spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, said the Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a full investigation into the killing.
"The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice," Abutu said.
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