BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A man, simply identified as Salami, has allegedly killed his wife over food in Ugbekpe Ekperi, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
Salami, a motorcycle mechanic, was said to have returned home hungry from work in the evening of August 29, 2023 before attacking his wife for not giving him part of the two cups of rice she prepared.
It was gathered that the deceased wife, simply identified as Esther, had collected the rice from her mother to cook and eat because Salami allegedly failed to give her any money before going out.
The nursing mother of one refused to part with the cooked rice when her husband demanded for his meal.
Angered by Esther’s refusal to give him from the food she made, the suspect allegedly started assaulting her and sent her to her early grave by hitting her with a stick.
One of the natives of the village, simply identified as Felicia, told The Point that Salami had formed the habit of beating his wife since they got married a few years ago.
The source, who witnessed the beating that resulted in Esther’s demise, explained, “They started with a hot altercation over food in the morning and when we inquired about what the disagreement was all about, we were told that Salami wanted to eat from the two cups of rice his wife made.
“Both the husband and wife are from the same Ugbekpe Ekperi Village and that was not the first time they would be fighting. Salami would always beat Esther at any slight provocation. He has just one child and the wife was still breastfeeding the child before she was beaten to death.”
Explaining what led to the battery that claimed the nursing mother’s life, Felicia said, “What really happened was that the wife collected the rice from her mother to cook and eat. When Salami returned, he wanted to eat from the rice but the wife refused. She complained that Salami did not leave any money for her and the child to feed, hence, he did not have to eat from the rice she collected from her mother.
“Angry because the woman did not give him out of the food, Salami started beating his wife. At a point, he took a stick and hit Esther on her head and she died instantly.”
Felicia added, “The man has been beating the woman for a long time now even in the presence of his mother who lives with them.
“Anytime he beats her, Salami’s mother would tell Esther to go to her mother’s house so that he would not kill her. If the woman leaves the house, Salami will be beating his mother because she asked his wife to leave his house. His mother would still go back to Esther and bring her back home till he finally killed her.
“Most people in the village are saying that the young man (Salami) is mentally unstable and that might be the reason he has been acting violently.”
She said the suspect had been arrested by men of the Auchi Police Division while the remains of the deceased had been taken to a morgue.
Efforts to get police reaction as at press time did not yield positive results as the mobile line of the Edo Police Command spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, was not reachable.
