A long history of domestic abuse has ended in a tragedy in Akufo, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, after a 49-year-old man allegedly attacked his wife with acid before ingesting the corrosive substance himself.
The incident claimed the lives of the couple and left their three surviving children, two of whom live with sickle cell disorder, facing an uncertain future and urgent humanitarian needs.
The deceased couple, identified as Mr Lekan Adedeji and Mrs Zainab Adedeji (44), had been married for more than 25 years.
Family members disclosed that the union was marred by persistent violence, compounded by the fact that both partners were unknowingly carriers of the sickle cell trait, a condition that gravely affected their children’s health.
During an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Morufat Ashake, the younger sister of the deceased woman, who has taken custody of her nieces and nephew since the incident, provided a detailed account of the events leading to the fatal attack.
She explained that the couple had no knowledge of their genetic compatibility at the time of marriage, adding that: “They did not realise their genotype status until their first three children were born, who kept falling ill repeatedly.
“One of the children became critically ill and was taken to the hospital, where tests revealed that the children were SS. That was when they understood the full extent of their situation,” she said.
Ashake revealed that the woman eventually gave birth to six children, but three of them died due to complications associated with sickle cell disorder.
Of the three surviving children, Rashida, 20, is SS; Folawe, 17, is AS; and Folahanmi, six, is also SS. Both Rashida and Folahanmi reportedly suffer regular sickle cell crises and require constant medical attention.
According to Ashake, domestic violence was a recurring problem in the marriage, revealing that: “The man kept insisting that she should continue giving birth, knowing the risks. He frequently beat her. The level of violence was extreme.”
She added that her sister left the matrimonial home about three months prior to the incident.
“We begged her to return in the past, but this time she refused. She said she could not continue like that,” Ashake said.
She said the fatal weekend began in December last year when the husband called his wife under the pretext of providing funds for her second daughter’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination fees.
“He asked her to come and collect the money. She went with the second daughter and the youngest son,” Ashake claimed.
Upon reaching the house, she also claimed the man instructed the second daughter to take the youngest child outside. While the daughter was sweeping the compound, she reportedly heard her mother screaming.
“When she tried to open the door, he pushed it back, locked it, and chased her away. My sister was in danger,” Ashake explained.
She alleged that the husband then poured acid on his wife’s body and attempted to force her to drink it.
“When he could not make her drink it, he poured it all over her. He then drank the acid himself,” Ashake said, adding that: “Prior to consuming the acid, the husband handed over his mobile phone and money intended for the children’s school fees to another person.
Despite immediate medical intervention, Mrs Adedeji succumbed to her injuries, and the family reportedly spent over N4 million on treatment efforts before her death on January 23.
The mother of the deceased, Titilayo Ayoola, 62, corroborated Ashake’s account, confirming that the marriage had been troubled for years and marked by persistent abuse.
“Everything Morufat has said is true. My daughter suffered greatly in that marriage,” lamenting that the responsibility now placed upon her to care for the surviving children.
“These children need medication and constant care. I am already old. I do not know how we will manage without help,” she added.
The children themselves also spoke about their grief and loss. The eldest, Rashida, said, “We lost our mum and our dad. We are in so much pain, and now there is nobody to take care of us.”
Folawe described the events as traumatic, saying, “Everything happened so fast. We need help to continue our education and to look after our health.”
The couple had lived in a four-bedroom flat built by the husband in Akufo, in the state capital, before the incident.
Meanwhile, family members are now appealing to the public for urgent assistance to meet the medical and educational needs of the children and to support the aged mother.
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