“I killed her on Monday. If I did not bury her, people would easily link me with her death. Yet I have been caught. It was the work of the devil.”
These confessions were made by a man who gave his name simply as Bello and was arrested by police in Lagos State for allegedly killing his wife and burying her remains in a shallow grave.
“We have been married for 14 years.”
The wife, Sherifat, was said to have demanded money from Bello for upkeep allowance for their three children. Bello agreed to give her the money but asked her to come to a particular place in Ebute Metta area of the state to collect it.
They met at the designated place where they both moved to Ijora after which Bello allegedly pounced on her. She died on the spot and the suspect allegedly proceeded to dismember her corpse apparently to remove certain parts, after which he buried her remains in a shallow grave and reportedly absconded to his hometown in Ibadan.
A couple of days after the victim failed to return home, her relations reportedly raised alarm. They subsequently contacted the police and Bello was arrested and detained at the Area ‘B’ Police Command, Apapa.
In the course of investigation, Bello led the police to the shallow grave where he blamed the devil for his act.
A family member of the deceased said that the pubic hair and some other parts of the deceased were missing, suggesting that she must have been killed for ritual purpose.
The Police have exhumed the body of the deceased.
Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Owoseni, said it was not Bello’s first attempt to kill his wife.
The CP said an earlier attempt which involved the suspect inserting charm in the woman’s private part had led to their separation in the past before they reconciled.
“The offence was committed last Monday inside an uncompleted building in the area.
“Recovered from the grave in the presence of a large crowd of people yesterday were the head, two hands and legs were in their decomposing state.
“The exhumed parts were later buried at Amukoko cemetery.
“The case has been transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Yaba,” the CP stated. [myad]
