‘I killed my landlady out of provocation’

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Tunmise Abraham, who allegedly raped and strangled his landlady, Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, in Ado-Ekiti.

The deceased, a 39-year-old tailor and mother of three, was killed last Thursday in her home at Olorunda area of Ado-Ekiti by Tunmise, who hailed from Ikole-Ekiti.

Police Commissioner Mr. Asuquo Amba said Tunmise was arrested at a church in Akure, the Ondo State capital, after linking up with the family.

“The suspect, after committing the offence, ran to Akure. He hid in a church and that was where he was arrested.

“He had called his family and told them why he did not come to their place. He said he had killed somebody in Ado-Ekiti.

“We have already done our homework and gathered that her sister is selling chemicals. Detectives had to trick her that they wanted to buy something from her. It was her sister who later led us to where he was,” Amba said.

He said the suspects would be prosecuted to act as a deterrent to others.

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Confessing that he actually committed the crime, Tunmise said he did it out of provocation.

He said the deceased had allegedly provoked him over a disagreement on rent with the husband of the woman, Mr. Raphael Olanrewaju, an indigene of Igogo- Ekiti from Moba Local Government.

He denied the accusation that he raped the landlady to death, explaining that he only hit her on the head with a big stick before making efforts to tie her hands to make her weak during a fisticuff.

“I called her that day that I wanted to leave the house after paying N23,000 in June and this will last till next year May for one year rent and I said  that the husband needed to refund part of my money to get another apartment, but the woman said that would never happen.

“We started the argument and she called me names. She abused me by calling me derogatory names, which angered me. She later held my clothes and I slapped her and pushed her away from me.

“The woman then came with a stick and I overpowered her and collected the stick, which I used to hit her on the head and she fell.

“When I realised that she had died, I became worried and escaped to a church in Akure.”

The deceased’s husband, Raphael, said the disagreement he had with the suspect was resolved when his family paid N23,000 rent, comprising the new and backlog of debt he owed.

“He had a misunderstanding with my wife, but it was settled. I never knew he had the intention to kill her. He killed my wife around 11am when everybody had left home.

“It was my daughter who discovered that he was the one who did it. When the police came to search his room, we saw a lot of incriminating goods that suggested that he was an armed robbery. I never knew I was harbouring a robber.

“All I want is justice,” Raphael said.