A Nigerian
Man identified as Shola Adebiyi has been arrested for the brutal murder of
his wife, Esther Arogundade in the UK.
Late Esther
Arogundade
Esther
was found stabbed to death at her residence in Cumbrae Gardens, Salford on the
26th of June, 2012. The 32-yr old mother of one was later pronounced dead at
the hospital after suffering multiple stab wounds.
Man Murders Girlfriend in Ghana
A 26-year-old Nigerian man, Nathaniel Udama Edu, is being held by the Mile 7 Police at Achimota in Accra, for the suspected murder of his girlfriend, Matilda Asante, 19, a senior high school graduate at South Afankor in the early hours of Monday.
The body of the deceased was found in the neighborhood, wrapped in a bed sheet and her legs tied, while her head was covered in a black polythene bag.
Narrating the incident in Accra, the Crime Officer of the Mile 7 Police Station, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Henry Agbeve, said around 7:30am last Monday the body of the deceased was found on the compound of an adjoining house in the Ga West municipality, lying in a supine position.
According to him preliminary investigations conducted indicated that the body was ‘thrown’ into that house after the act with the legs tied, the head covered with a polythene bag and the rest of her body wrapped in a bedsheet.
The Motive
It had started with the blazing fire of new-found
lovers. Consumed by their passion, and determined to share love and emotional
affinity, neither Esther Arogundade, 32, nor Shola Adebiyi, both Nigerians,
cared a hoot about their religious differences. They found love between
themselves, and religion was not going to be a barrier. Or so they thought.
While Arogundade was a devout Christian, Adebiyi was a committed Muslim.
Between them, they could handle their religious
differences. But a third member, their daughter, soon joined to change
their calculation. The faith to be practised by the two-year-old daughter
became an issue. Should she be allowed to be a Muslim like the
father or should she, like the mother, be a Christian? Neither parent
accepted to bulge. And that began to generate tension and create rift between
the erstwhile lovers.
The disagreement between them strained their
relationship and that drove Arogundade into the arms of another man.
Unable to stand being ditched by her, Adebiyi
plotted his revenge. One day, Adebiyi, a kitchen porter, attacked Arogundade, a
worker with KFC, with a kitchen knife in her home and stabbed her 13 times.
He also drank oven cleaner in an attempt to kill
himself and phoned Arogundade's new lover to say he would never see her again
before confessing to the killing to a friend.
Police broke into the mother-of-two's home in
Salford, Greater Manchester, and found Arogundade lying dead on the kitchen
floor with multiple stab wounds to her back and front.
Adebiyi was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for a
minimum of 20-and-a-half years after admitting killing her.
The court heard how Arogundade began dating Adebiyi
in 2007 and that they later had a daughter now aged two but split up last year
after a series of rows.
Rob Hall prosecuting said: 'These arguments were
ignited by differences of opinion over the religion of their daughter - the
defendant wanted her to convert from Christian to Islam, but Esther was a
church goer.
'There were arguments about expenses, bills and childcare.'
Last March, Arogundade who also had a nine-year-old daughter living in Nigeria from a previous relationship, began a friendship with another man named in court as Mr. Alabi.
'There were arguments about expenses, bills and childcare.'
Last March, Arogundade who also had a nine-year-old daughter living in Nigeria from a previous relationship, began a friendship with another man named in court as Mr. Alabi.
While visiting family in Africa, Alabi received a
sinister phone call from Adebiyi, claiming he would be killed if he returned to
the UK.
Alabi told Arogundade about the call and she spoke to Adebiyi but he initially denied it.
Alabi told Arogundade about the call and she spoke to Adebiyi but he initially denied it.
Hall added: 'Mr. Alabi returned to the UK and the
relationship took the next step and it turned into a sexual relationship.
'They spent a great deal of time talking and texting
on their mobile phones - it may well be that it came to the attention of the
defendant.'
On June 26, Adebiyi cleared out his locker at work at a conference centre in Manchester then left armed with a large kitchen knife and waited for Arogundade and their daughter to come home.
On June 26, Adebiyi cleared out his locker at work at a conference centre in Manchester then left armed with a large kitchen knife and waited for Arogundade and their daughter to come home.
Throughout that evening, there were phone calls
between Alabi and Arogundade and also a child minder who was booked for the
next day.
But the following morning, Adebiyi was said to have made 'frantic arrangements' to get child care for his daughter and handed her over at 9.50 am along with her birth certificate and left in her push chair.
But the following morning, Adebiyi was said to have made 'frantic arrangements' to get child care for his daughter and handed her over at 9.50 am along with her birth certificate and left in her push chair.
He then called Alabi, who asked about the
whereabouts and welfare of Arogundade only to be told he would never see her
again.
He then called a friend and confessed he had killed her, claiming it had happened during a fight.
He then called a friend and confessed he had killed her, claiming it had happened during a fight.
The friend went to the house and saw Adebiyi come
out wearing a blood-stained T-shirt and holding a large black-handled knife.
He saw him throw the knife into nearby bushes.
He saw him throw the knife into nearby bushes.
In mitigation, defence counsel, Michael Lavery, said
his client had made a 'very genuine' attempt to take his own life by drinking
oven cleaner.
He added: “He took the knife to kill himself and his partner. He's lost his daughter as well as a consequence of his own actions.
He added: “He took the knife to kill himself and his partner. He's lost his daughter as well as a consequence of his own actions.
“Many men and women have to endure the discovery
that the husband, wife or partner is no longer content with the relationship
they have. What the law cannot permit is the use of violence, which is what you
used.
“It is tragic for the victim of this murder and a tragedy for the daughter and for the father too. It is his own fault, I know, but that is not going to make it easier for her.”
“It is tragic for the victim of this murder and a tragedy for the daughter and for the father too. It is his own fault, I know, but that is not going to make it easier for her.”
Passing sentence, Judge Andrew Gilbart QC told
Adebiyi it was not clear exactly when he had killed Arogundade.
He added: “Your relationship had come to an end with
frequent disagreements and rows between the two of you.
“She formed a relationship with another man. You resented it, and tried to warn him off with threats.
“She formed a relationship with another man. You resented it, and tried to warn him off with threats.
“She let you know that she no longer wanted to be with
you and wanted to pursue a relationship with another man.
“You were most upset at that prospect. She sought friendship elsewhere, including in an affair with another man. You were understandably upset but let me be clear about this.
“You were most upset at that prospect. She sought friendship elsewhere, including in an affair with another man. You were understandably upset but let me be clear about this.
“Many men and women have to endure the discovery
that the husband, wife or partner is no longer content with the relationship
they have.
“Many are jealous or unhappy. But what the law cannot and will not permit is the use of violence, which is what you used.
“Many are jealous or unhappy. But what the law cannot and will not permit is the use of violence, which is what you used.
“I am prepared to accept that you were very upset -
and indeed distraught - at what was happening to your relationship.
“'When you acted as you did you were under considerable emotional strain.”
After the case, Senior Investigator Andrew Tattersall of Greater Manchester Police said: “The biggest tragedy here is that a young girl has now been deprived of both her parents.
“'When you acted as you did you were under considerable emotional strain.”
After the case, Senior Investigator Andrew Tattersall of Greater Manchester Police said: “The biggest tragedy here is that a young girl has now been deprived of both her parents.
“Her mother was taken from her in a vengeful,
violent attack and no sentence today can bring her back.”
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