Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi and Fidelis David in Akure
The Village Head of Riruwai in Lame District of Bauchi Emirate in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Mr. Garba Badamasi, has been murdered by gunmen.
THISDAY checks revealed that the village head was earlier kidnapped by gunmen who invaded the village on Friday, March 15, 2024.
In another development, a man identified as Odechukwu Sunday has allegedly attacked his wife with machete in Akure, the Ondo State capital, leaving her with deep cuts on her arms and body.
The gunmen in Bauchi were said to have shot sporadically in order to scare away residents before carrying out their criminal act. Our correspondent further gathered that the gunmen went straight into the palace of the late village head and abducted him to an unknown location without getting in contact with anybody.
The late Badamasi was said to have spent one day in captivity with the kidnappers before he was gruesomely murdered and his body dumped around the village.
The body was later recovered by those who had embarked on the search for him in the bush around the village.
His corpse was then brought to the palace of the district head of Lame in Gumau on Sunday, March 17, for funeral prayers and subsequent burial in accordance with Islamic injunctions.
One of the traditional title holders in the village confirmed the development to our correspondent and prayed that Allah would grant his soul eternal rest in Aljanat firdausi.
All efforts to get official confirmation from the State Police Command proved abortive as the PPRO, SP. Ahmed Wakili, could not be reached on his phone number as at the time of filling this report yesterday.
Meanwhile, a man identified as Odechukwu Sunday has allegedly attacked his wife with machete in Akure, the Ondo State capital, leaving her with deep cuts on her arms and body.
Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Augustina Odechukwu, 40, from Ebonyi State, disclosed that her husband, from Anambra State, allegedly attacked her last Sunday with machete in their residence on Oda Road in Akure.
Mrs. Odechukwu, who revealed that she’s legally married to her husband for over 14 years, stressed that both of them had not been in good terms for over a year, because her husband was no long taking care of her and their four children
According to the mother of five boys, her husband had given her and the children quit notice, but couldn’t leave because she could not afford to rent a room apartment.
She said: “It’s over a year now that my husband and I have not been living as husband and wife. We are just staying in the same room and nothing more. On that fateful day, we were at home, and suddenly my husband started beating me while he took the cutlass to kill me. I protected myself with my left hand that’s why I sustained serious injuries on my arms.
“I ran out of the house naked and he chased me with the cutlass in his hand, but I was saved by a man, who is a commissioner in the state, who ran towards my husband and collected the cutlass from him when he was about to hack me down.
“The police later came and rushed me to the hospital while he was arrested and taken away. He said my children and I should leave the house for him. I have five boys for him. They are 14, 13, 11, 8 while the last born is going to three years.
“He once beat my second born to a point that he was covered with blood. He threatened to kill me and my children. I want the government to fight for me because I don’t have anybody. I want justice.”
When a team of Ondo State Agency Against Gender-Based Violence(OSAA-GBV), led by Mrs. Olamide Falana, Special Adviser(Gender Matters) to the state Governor, visited the victim, who is on admission at a Police Hospital in Akure yesterday, she disclosed that the commissioner gave a call last Sunday when the incident happened.
Mrs. Falana disclosed that she had to call a team of policemen in the Government House to rush to the scene of the incident to rescue the victim and arrest the perpetrator, noting that the state government has zero tolerance for any form of gender violence.
According to her, “What we have here is an unfortunate case of gender violence and domestic abuse by the husband of the victim. He took the law into his hands by using the machete on his wife. This is unacceptable!
“Ondo State is known as a decent urban centre, and we will not accept issues like this happening in our shores. Ondo State has zero tolerance for gender-based violence. That’s why this case will not slip away. The man is going to be prosecuted. The woman is assured of protection by the state government.
“This is a call out to men and women in Ondo State that resorting to violence is not an excuse. There’s no reason anyone should use brute force on another. Ondo State Government would not tolerate that.
“We already have laws in place that protects individuals against gender-based violence. We have the VAPP Law and the Agency Against Gender-Based Violence OSAA-GBV to ensure protection of individuals and prosecution of violators.
“For anyone who is a victim, please speak out-whether male or female. When you speak out, you also empower the law to protect you and make our society a sane one for everyone to live in. So, when you see something, say something.”
The Executive Secretary of OSAA-GBV, Bolanle Afolabi, who was represented by the attorney to the agency, John Dada, said the agency would pursue the case to a conclusion.
Reacting to the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Abayomi Oladipo, ordered that the case should be transferred to the Command headquarters without delay.
He promised that cases of gender-based violence would be given speedy attention, assuring those involved of unflinching synergy with OSAA-GBV in the fight against gender-based violence in the state.
