She was a flirt, says spare parts dealer who killed wife in Oshodi

A vehicle parts dealer, Tochukwu Chukwu, at the popular Ladipo Spare Parts Market in Lagos, has said he stabbed his wife, Joy, to death because she was a flirt.

The suspect was apprehended by vigilant residents, while attempting to dispose her corpse which he put inside a bucket, at night. It was also gathered that when the suspect, Tochukwu, was caught he gave the impression that he was taking his dead wife’s remains to the mortuary, but the neighbours became suspicious when the four people who accompanied him ran away on sighting the Police. A source said when the Police took the corpse to the mortuary for postmortem examination, it was discovered that the victim was stabbed in the back with a knife. “Based on the new discovery, the Police invited Tochukwu for further questioning,” the source added. The source also said Police operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer for Akinpelu, Oshodi, CSP Jimoh Aliu, went back to the crime scene where they discovered the murder weapon and secured it for further forensic analysis.

According to Tochukwu, “my wife was a flirt. There was a time I travelled to Enugu State; when I called my wife, she didn’t pick. Later a man picked her call and threatened me. The man who picked my call told me never to call her again.” One of the wife’s relatives, who does not want his name in print, said: “It is just unfortunate that Joy died this way. Her parents had told her to quit the marriage, because her life was obviously in danger. But she stayed, thinking he would change his suspicious nature. “Now see where it has landed her. Before this incident, he told his wife that he was travelling, but he didn’t. Unknown to Joy, he had his plans. He has never caught her with any man.”

A neighbour, Maris Uke, said: “Mr. Tochukwu has been living with his wife here for a while. He is very suspicious of his wife’s activities. “Actually, we don’t know what happened that night, but they were always having domestic issues. It was in the course of their issue that he killed her. “He was caught in the middle of the night while attempting to dispose her remains, which he hid in a bucket. “He tried to hide her remains in the large container by lifting it on his head in a bid to protect it from public glare. But unfortunately for him he ran out of luck and was caught.”

Confirming the incident, spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, SP Chike Oti, said the suspect is in custody and that investigation is still ongoing. He added: “From preliminary investigation, it appears like a case of domestic violence. “The Police have visited the crime scene and recovered the murder weapon (knife). They secured it carefully for further forensic analysis.” 

Vanguard