Residents of Idekan Farm Settlement in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, were left in disbelief when Matthew James allegedly murdered his wife, Etim Mary, aged 55, over suspicions of infidelity.
It was gathered that the tragic incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, James, now in custody, reportedly committed the crime after suspecting his wife of having an extramarital affair within their community.
An anonymous eyewitness revealed that police from the Ijebu-Igbo Division swiftly apprehended the suspect after the incident.
“The suspect claimed they had a ‘blood covenant’ not to betray each other,” the source disclosed. “He suspected his wife of infidelity. She had been married before and had children before marrying James.”
The spokesperson for the state police command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident, stating that the victim was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
“She was found with deep cuts on her forehead, shoulders, and other parts of her body,” Odutola stated. “The husband was apprehended with a blood-soaked machete believed to be the murder weapon.”
The body of the deceased has been deposited at Alayangbe Private Mortuary in Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo, pending an autopsy.
“This case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abeokuta once preliminary investigations are completed,” Odutola added.
This tragic incident echoes a similar case in April in Ekiti State, where another man allegedly killed his wife over suspected infidelity.