Attacks on Women

Nursing Mother Shot by Policeman

nursing mother, Mrs Juliana Obiajulu was on 30^th May 2000 shot dead in her room by a policeman who was said to be chasing a prostitute in Makoko Road of Lagos.

As reported by Sunday Vanguard of June 18, 2000, policemen are used to invading Makoko area on a daily basis to raid prostitutes in hotels. They would arrest the girls extract money from them and let them go back to work.

On the fateful day the policemen had gone for their usual raid but some of the girls took to their heels on sighting them. In an attempt to stop the fleeing

prostitutes, the policemen started shooting indiscriminately in the air. Unfortunately, the bullet of one of the policemen hit Juliana Obiajulu in the stomach and she slumped bleeding profusely. She died before help could get to her. Juliana, a nursing mother of a seven months old baby was sitting on the bed with her husband when she was hit by the bullet.

Juliana had since been buried. Her husband Osondu Obiajulu is however calling for justice and government assistance in catering for the 7 months old baby left behind by the deceased.

Female Journalist Attacked

Mrs Funmi Komolafe, Vanguard Labour Editor was attacked by the striking workers of Lagos State on the 5th of July 2000. She had gone to the Alausa, the headquarters of Lagos State Secretariat on official duty to interview the leaders of the striking Civil Servants on the face-off between them and the police.

According to Mrs Komolafe, she had just completed an interview with Alhaja Aminat Olorunibe the Lagos State chair-person of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) when she noticed that some of the striking workers had gone violent and they attacked her with vehemence, tearing her cloths in the process. According to her, though sympathizers tried to help her to safety, "the striking workers still chased me with stones and sticks". She was eventually rescued and taken to a safe place where first aid was administered to her. Mrs Komolafe sustained a lot of injuries as a result of the beating she received from the workers who were supposed to be negotiating with Lagos State over the new minimum wages.

Forced Marriage Claims Life

18 year-old girl, Jamila Na’isah reportedly poisoned herself to death in protest against her forced marriage in Sabon-Fege area of Gusau in Zamfara State.

Jamila’s father Malam Na’isah had in May this year decided to give the young girl out in marriage to his choice of man, Mallam Aliyu Mohammed against her wish. The teenager according to sources, was in love with another man and pleaded with her father to allow her marry the man of her choice. Her father turned down her pleas.

Jamila sought help from notable members of their families including her grandmother to persuade her father to change his mind all to no avail. She was disappointed when all entreaties to prevail on her father failed and he insisted on his plans and went ahead to fix a date for the marriage ceremony. Jamila ran away from home a day before the marriage to avoid being betrothed but she was soon found and her father ordered that she was detained until the day the marriage was fixed for. After the marriage Jamila was taken to a herbalist on the grounds that she was behaving strangely. It was at the herbalists’ place that she drank the poison which ended her life.

Anti-Corruption Commission Member Murdered

Newly appointed member of the Anti-Corruption Commission set up by President Olusegun Obasanjo, was gruesomely murdered in Enugu recently. The member, 60 -year-old Dr (Mrs) Nnalu Chukwudebelu was appointed on 18th July 2000, five days before her death in the early hours of July 24, 2000.

According to reports, Dr Mrs Chukwudebelu was strangled and battered to death in her matrimonial home at No 7, Ukwa Street, Independence Layout in Enugu. Her husband, Wilfred Chukwudebelu, a Professor of Gynaecology at the University Teaching Hospital, Enugu and his sisters living with them were said to have previously thrown Mrs Chukwudebelu out of her home and made threats to her life which she reported to her lawyer Barrister Peter Eze.

She was advised by Barrister Eze to go home and come back the next day, which she did. She was then accompanied by two lawyers from Eze’s chambers to Ogui Police Station on 21 July, from where the case was referred to the Police Commissioner’s office.

After listening and talking with Dr Chukwudebelu, Police Commissioner Mohammed asked her to return on Tuesday July 25. This appointment Dr Chukwudebelu could not keep, as she was murdered in the early hours of Monday July 24, 2000.

An autopsy conducted on Mrs Chukwudebelu’s corpse on the 10th of August, 2000 indicated "a broken rib, bulging eyes, as well as an agony-ridden face. Bruises were on her body and she had internal bleeding among others."

Professor Wilfred Chukwudebelu was arrested by the police but was hurriedly arraigned before a Magistrate court and charged for the murder of his wife. The court immediately granted him bail and the case was adjourned indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the remains of Mrs Chukwudebelu is said to have been deposited at the Eastern Nigerian Medical Centre, Enugu mortuary while the order by the State Commissioner of Police to re-arrest Prof. Chukwudebelu is yet to be carried out.

Businesswoman Murdered

Businesswoman, Alhaja Risikat Olabisi Balogun was murdered and her eye plucked by unknown persons.

According to reports, Alhaja Risikat was tied to a chair while the criminals butchered her into several pieces, in her house at Alapare, Ketu, Lagos. They left the pieces of her corpse in the apartment, locked the door and went away with the keys. For days, their heinous act was not discovered until one of Alhaja’s daughter Jumoke who had gone to collect her NYSC call-up letter returned and open the door with her spare keys. On discovering her mother’s corpse, Jumoke screamed and alerted neighbours before fainting.

Though the police have waded into the case, speculations are rife that Alhaja’s death could be linked to the on-going tussle over her late husband’s estate. Her husband Mr Moshood Balogun had died intestate. Hearing for the case had been fixed for Tuesday July 18, 2000, while Alhaja was murdered on Thursday July 13, 2000. Another question however, is that could Alhaja Balogun have been killed for ritual purposes? Police are yet to complete investigations.

June 12 Tragedy

Daily Champion of July 4, 2000 reported how Miss Jumoke Ajewole was allegedly killed by riot policemen when they fired at a crowd in Karimo area of Abuja on June 12, 2000.On Monday June 12, 2000, angry and rampaging youth mostly males had mounted road-blocks in the Karimo area of Abuja to protest the fuel hike by the federal government, when some policemen stormed the area in their numbers to disperse them. This resulted in an open confrontation between the youths and the police. The police were said to have shot straight into the crowd killing two women instantly.

According to the report, Jumoke and her mother went to the market as usual but noticed that the atmosphere was tensed. Suddenly the riot erupted disrupting all activities. The arrival of the police ignited the situation especially when they shot into the air and released canisters of teargas. It was while Jumoke was trying to escape from the mayhem that a bullet from the police hit her at the back and she fell immediately.

Female Corper Killed By Police

22 year-old female youth corper Miss Olajumoke Akinseye was recently killed in Lagos, by a stray bullet from the gun of a mobile policeman attached to the Rapid Response Squad.

Jumoke who had just graduated from the University of Ado-Ekiti with Honours in Banking & Finance was on her way home from a friend’s place when she boarded a Mass Transit Bus at Oshodi to Ketu/Mile 12.

According to The Guardian, July 9, 2000 the driver of the bus hit another

Toyota bus and broke its side mirror but refused to stop. It was said that there was a policeman inside the Toyota Hiace bus who encouraged the driver to pursue the Mass Transit bus in which Jumoke was traveling.

It was in the bid to catch up with the driver that the policeman enlisted the help of Rapid Response Squad who were parked by the roadside.

Another passenger who survived the incident, explained that before anybody could do anything, the Rapid Response Squad started pursuing the Mass Transit Bus while at the same time opening fire. Jumoke sensing danger, started screaming and pleading that "I am a corper…please don’t shoot," but the policemen continued to rain bullets on the bus. Jumoke was hit by the bullet and died instantly. The policemen thereafter took her corpse to Ketu Police Station, where they reported it as the corpse of an armed robbery suspect.

When Jumoke did not return home, her parents went in search of her. The search took them to Ketu Police Station, where they were told that her corpse was amongst other victims of an accident that occurred at Alapere. Jumoke’s corpse was later found at the Ikeja General Hospital already decomposing, She had to be buried immediately.

Jumoke is the second female corper to be gunned down by the police within 2 months. The first was Odunola Hannah Alli who was allegedly killed by a stray bullet from the gun of police escort.

Murder At Dawn

44 year-old woman, Mrs Roseline Okolie was allegedly hacked to death by her husband Matthew Okolie in Lagos.The woman who owned a popular restaurant in Apapa area of Lagos, was found in a pool of her blood in the toilet of the master bedroom she shared with her husband.According to reports, 16-year-old Ujunwa, daughter of the deceased was the first to discover her mother as she laid helplessly gasping for breath and bleeding profusely.

Ujunwa who went into her parent’s room to clarify something from her mother, met her father rushing out of the room just before she discovered her mother in the toilet. She called out to her mother but there was no response. At this point she ran out to her father to inform him that her mother was on the floor bleeding but he ignored her. Ujunwa then cried out and ran back to her mother calling out to her. This time late Roseline according to Ujunwa, managed to whisper to her "your father has killed me. Ask him what I have done to him."

Matthew Okolie refused to help take his wife to the hospital. With the help of neighbours Ujunwa was able to take her mother to the hospital where it was confirmed that Roseline Okolie was dead. When Matthew joined the family later in the hospital, and was asked what happened to his wife, he said she had been bitten by a rat.

Married 30 years ago, the couple had six children (four girls and two boys). The deceased according to her children, was a hardworking woman who built the house they lived in, made it comfortable and even opened a motor tyre shop for their father. Problem according to the children set in 14 years ago when Matthew informed his wife of his intention to marry a second wife.

Roseline kicked against it but Matthew went ahead to marry the lady and rent a place for her. This led to separation between the two for years until recently when some relatives decided to make peace between them. The night before the murder (August 19 2000) was the first time in a long while that the couple would sleep together. It also turned out to be the last.

13-Year-Old Girl Murdered

Weekly Trust News of September 15-21, 2000 reported the murder of a 13-year-old girl, Nana Hamidu Maradun by persons suspected to be hired assassins in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

According to the report, the killers who were said to be well armed went into the house in search of Nana’s mother, Hajiya A’i Maradun a notable politician in an opposition party of the State. Unfortunately Hajiya A’i had traveled out of the State leaving her mother and daughter at home.

The attackers disappointed at not meeting Hajiya A’i, decided to attack little Nana and her grandmother. Daggers and swords were used to cut them. Though terribly wounded, Nana on hearing her grandmother scream, crawled up to her and said she should be patient as she had recognised two of their attackers. On hearing this, the attackers who were on their way out, came back and axed Nana to death. Hajiya Nana Mainono, the grandmother who is presently receiving treatment, is accusing a top official of the State of the attack. According to her, he had publicly threatened her daughter’s life 24 hours before the incident.