I Killed Him In Self-defense: Lagos Teacher

A primary school teacher, Jacinta Igboke(29), is currently at the custody of  the Lagos State Police for allegedly stabbing her baby daddy to death.

The suspects had gone to the victim Arinze Ani’s shop with whom she has an 18 months old baby to collect money for the upkeep of their child when they had a misunderstanding which resulted in an argument.

According to Igboke, the unfortunate incident happened at Ani’s shop on Old Ojo Road, Satellite Town area of the state.

Recounting how the incident happened, she said that trouble started when I went to Ani’s shop to collect money for the upkeep of our child. The encounter resulted in an argument that led to Ani’s death.

Immediately I got pregnant Ani’s parents were allegedly not in support of our relationship because she was older than him and he was supposed to marry a woman from his village in Enugu State. He was born on November 19, 1990, while I was born on 29 October 1990. They said they would only accept the baby.”

Igboke explained that she reported Arinze at the human rights section of the Satellite Police Station and he was invited for dialogue. At the meeting, it was resolved that she should live with him at his Ijegun residence, adding that their coexistence was fraught with quarrels.

“Ani’s brother and sister lived with us, but the sister later left after she got married. Six months after I gave birth, I went out one day but when I came back, I found out that they had packed out.

“I went back to the police station in July 2019 and they invited him. He said he didn’t want to marry me. The police told him he must take care of the baby and instructed him to give me N10,000, one carton of noodles and rice every month for his upkeep.

“Since then, he never bought any foodstuff for the baby and he didn’t pay the N10,000. All he did was to send N2,000 or N3,000 into my account. Most times, I had to go to his shop to ask for the money.”

When I got to his shop, the first time he was not around. I then went to the market to buy some clothes for my child. I went back to the shop and showed him the clothes. I asked him to give me money so I could buy shoes and some other things the boy needed. He pushed me away and a bike almost hit me.

“I entered his shop again angrily and he pushed me. I fell on the pavement and hit my head on the ground. I then picked up a knife in self-defense. I didn’t know when I stabbed him,” she added.

The incident was confirmed by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, adding that the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.

He said, “We received a distress call that the woman allegedly stabbed her boyfriend on the right side of the chest, killing him in the process. A police team mobilised to the location where the suspect was rescued from a mob and the body of the victim recovered.

“The body of the victim was taken to the mortuary for autopsy. The suspect and the victim were lovers and between them is a male child of about one and half years whose upkeep is believed to be the source of their constant quarrels.”