A 35-year-old lady yesterday told how her live-in lover poured fuel on
her and set her ablaze in Ikotun area of Lagos State.
The lady, Janet Udegba said her lover, Mr. Kehinde Adesamuye, 39, set
her on fire because he was angry and jealous over her relationship
with other men. She said she was at the Junction where she does her
business of selling cooked Indomie before kehinde came that night,
poured petrol on her and lit it with fire.
Janet however says Nigerians should not let kehinde go scot free with
what he has done to her.
''My husband has always been jealous. He used to beat me every time,
under any guise and excuse.
I've tried several times to leave him, but he always threatens to harm
me. I stayed with him because I was afraid of him and my life. He
always told me that I could never escape from him, except I leave
Lagos State. Anytime I said I was leaving him, he would say, no
problem, but that he would do something to me which I would not
forget. Now, see what he had done to me. He wanted to kill me.
"I used to sell indomie at Ikotun round about. There are other men and
women selling there too. We're all friends. Last two weeks Friday, one
of the traders had a baby. We went for the naming ceremony. Kehinde
was there with me. One of the traders gave me a drink; I just took a
sip because I was in my flow.
"That was how it all started. He said I was kissing another man in his
presence. He said that I sipped from the bottle that the man drank
from. Right there, he started threatening that he was going to deal
with me when we get home.
To be on the safe side, I called my younger sister, telling her that I
might come over to spend the night at her place. I didn't want him to
beat me. When we got home, he cursed, abused and said all sort of
things, but I didn't respond or reply because I didn't want him to
pounce on me. This behaviour continued till Saturday. He even kicked
off the bed, but I didn't mind. I slept on the floor.
When I woke up on Sunday, he had gone out. I rushed to take my bath
because I wanted to leave the house before he came back. But he
suddenly came back, and started beating me for no reason. He beat so
much that I thought he was going to kill me. It was due to the
intervention of our landlord that he left me. After that beating, I
moved in with my younger sister."
Government should make sure Kehinde pays for what he did to me. I am
an orphan. I have no father or mother. I sell Indomie to live. Now,
I've spent all my money. In fact, I need help she said.
For reasons best known to Kehinde, he started sending friends to
Janet's shop, to beg on his behalf. He wanted her to forgive him and
come back. But she refused. Last week Tuesday, Kehinde came to the
shop with another friend to beg once more, but Janet told him that she
was through with the relationship. Fuming, Kehinde jumped up from his
seat, told her that he had nothing against her leaving, but that he
was going to deal with her. He made good the threat by dousing her.
The following day, Kehinde was arrested by policemen as he was
strolling along the streets of Ikotun.
