The Police in Ogun State yesterday arrested a 30-year-old housewife, Shukurat Olufowobi for allegedly beating her five-year-old stepson, Azeem Olufowobi to death.
The suspect, who is a resident of Oshodi Oke Area of Ogijo, Sagamu LGA, was arrested alongside her husband, Ayuba Olufowobi, following a report received at Ogijo Divisional headquarters.
It was gathered that some residents of the area had informed the police that the victim died following an injury he sustained in his head having been allegedly beaten with an object by the prime suspect.
A statement issued by the Police Spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi on Sunday alleged that the woman and her husband “hurriedly took the corpse of the victim to Ajah in Lagos State where he was secretly buried.”
Oyeyemi said that operatives at Ogijo Division led by Suleman Baba Muhammed quickly mobilized his detectives to the scene where the couple, who were said to have been packing their belongings, were promptly arrested.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the woman has been maltreating the victim, whose mother has separated from the father due to irreconcilable differences.
“On the fateful day, the boy was beaten on the head with a heavy object which caused him a broken skull resulting to his eventual death.
The nurse who gave the victim first aid treatment and informed the couple of her observation was asked by the woman and her friend to lie about the cause of the victims death but she refused because it is against the ethics of her profession,” the police spokesman said.
He said the suspects were undergoing interrogation at Ogijo divisional headquarters and “they were helping the police in their investigation.”
Oyeyemi added that the Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the homicide section of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and prosecution.
