'My Wife Committed Suicide Because I Caught Her Cheating'

A 33-year-old man, who is currently being investigated by operatives
of the homicide unit of Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department,
SCID, Yaba, has denied killing his wife.

"My wife took poison after a misunderstanding over her infidelity," he said.

It was gathered that the couple, who had been married for over seven
years, had three children. The 27-year-old Togolese reportedly
committed suicide after her husband, Seun Alabi, confronted her over
allegations of extra-marital affairs.

Alabi, a tiler, had used his wife, Bose's phone to call a colleague
before leaving for work. Afterwards, Bose called the same number,
thinking it was her lover's number, and requested that they met at her
friend's place.

Surprised by the request, the husband's colleague (names withheld)
told her that she had mistaken him for someone else. She apologized
and ended the call.

However, trouble started when Seun's colleague told him about the
call. When he returned from work and confronted his wife, she
initially denied the allegations but later admitted to engaging in
extra-marital affair.

According to Seun, "I threatened to report her to her family members,
so she confessed and pleaded for forgiveness. I was surprised and
could not imagine that she could cheat on me after seven years of
marriage.

"I was angry and slept on the three-seater. It was her legs that were
hitting me, that woke me from sleep and I saw her in severe pains. I
then saw an empty bottle of sniper insecticide on the table.

"I raised alarm and neighbours rushed inside to help. One of them
brought palm oil, which I gave to her. But when we realized that it
was more than we can handle, we rushed her to the hospital. On our way
to Ogba General Hospital, she died."

A relative of the deceased (names with held) accused the suspect of
having a hand in the death of the victim, adding that until the demise
of Bose, Seun had not paid her dowry, despite living together for
years and bearing him children.

Seun said: "I could not pay my wife's bride price because my wife's
family asked for about a million naira, which I could not raise."
--Vanguard