Policeman’s wife stabs neighbour for laughing at her

There was a breach of the peace on Etunrere Street in the Ikorodu area of Lagos on Monday after the wife of a policeman attached to the state police command allegedly stabbed her neighbour, Mrs. Olaitan Ayobami.

The cop’s wife, Mrs. Desola Ochoche, fled the residence afterwards, leaving Ayobami for dead. Ayobami was later rushed to a private hospital in the area.

The attack was caused by a scuffle between the duo on Sunday when Ochoche reportedly challenged Ayobami to a duel for laughing at her.

It was gathered that they were separated only for the fight to resume around 6am on Monday when Ayobami, a teacher, wanted to bathe.

Our correspondent was told that after the face-off, the teacher with her children were heading for school when Ochoche ambushed her at the entrance of their rented building with a shard of bottle.

She was said to have chased her to the garage on the premises and stabbed her in the head and hand.

It was learnt that Ochoche was eventually arrested by policemen from the Igbogbo Police Division, but released a few hours later.

Ayobami said she wanted Ochoche to be brought to book, adding that she was still in pains.

She said, “On Saturday, I left my phone in my kitchen and when I went back to pick it, I found it inside water. I wanted to challenge Iya Oby (Ochoche), but my husband warned me not to do so because I didn’t have evidence. On Sunday, she started singing abusive songs against me, but I did not reply.

“At a point, I laughed and she became angry. She poured water on me and we fought. While I was going to the bathroom on Monday morning, she attacked me and we fought again. Her husband separated us and warned her to let peace reign.

“I was going to school when she attacked me in the corridor and stabbed me with a shard of bottle. Her husband, who is a policeman, took her to the Igbogbo division, but she has been released. I want her to be charged to court.”

Ochoche, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, admitted stabbing Ayobami. She, however, claimed that she acted to revenge an injury earlier inflicted on her by the teacher.

She said, “I have been warning her to stop insulting me with songs. She would accuse me of flirting around just because I am not employed. It is true I stabbed her but she had used something to injure me in the face while we were fighting around 6am on Monday. I revenged so that she would know she cannot intimidate me.”

Asked if it was Ayobami’s laughter that caused the Sunday’s fight, she replied, “I don’t know. I am on medication and want to sleep.”

Another neighbour, Sarah Elijah, said she was in her kitchen when she heard the sound of a broken bottle, adding that she did not approach Ochoche to avoid trouble.

The landlord of the house, who did not want his name in print, told our correspondent that the two tenants had been at loggerheads for a long time. He said he had intervened on several occasions and served their husbands notices to quit when the fight persisted.

He said, “I have called them several times and talked to them, including their husbands. I gave them notices to quit in January when the fight was going out of hand. The Monday incident was terrible. Ochoche’s husband told me Ayobami was the one who initially attacked his wife. But residents said it was not true. I told her (Ochoche) not to enter my house again because I fear something worse may happen.”

The police spokesperson in the state, SP Dolapo Badmos, said it was a case of affray and the two women would be charged to court.

She said, “The two women injured each other and they have been released to go and take care of themselves after which they will be charged to court for affray.”

Punch