An evil father, Kazeem Olajide, from Abeokuta in Ogun State has allegedly poisoned his 41-day-old baby girl, Zainab Olajide, in order to divorce his wife at Toluwalase Estate, Ijoko-Abule, in the Lemode area of the state.
The dead baby’s mother, Abosede Ogundare, had gone to sweep the compound leaving behind the baby and her father without realizing he had ulterior motives against the baby.
When Ogundare finished sweeping and returned to the room around 7am on Friday, July 24, 2015 she almost died of shock as she met the baby with foams gushing out from her mouth.
She called the attention of neighbours to the incident having found a bottle containing pesticide with her husband.
Zainab was said to have been rushed to a hospital in the community, where she eventually died.
Olajide who attempted to flee the scene was held by residents while the landlord of the house reported the case to the monarch of the community, Oba Solomon Sokunbi.
He admitted to have committed the crime and was thereafter handed over to policemen at the Agbado Police Division.
A source identified as Biodun who resides in the area said the suspect had been threatening to divorce his wife before the baby’s untimely death.
He said, “He doesn’t love the woman and has been trying to divorce her. He poisoned the innocent baby to actualise his mission. They recently moved to this estate. She was their only child.”
Also, the landlord of the house, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that before the tragic incident, Olajide had denied being Zainab’s father.
He said, “Three days before the incident, Kazeem (Olajide) was looking for a pair of his slippers. When he did not find it on time, he started raining curses. I called him by his daughter’s name, and tried to caution him, but he warned me not to call him by her name again. It was when the incident happened that I realised he might have intentionally killed the child.”
According to Sokunbi, the Oba of Ijoko-Lemode, Olajide owned up to the act, claiming that he was pushed by the devil. He said he had been following the case to ensure that the suspect was brought to justice, Punch reports.
He said, “It was the landlord who came to report the case to me and I directed my chiefs to bring him and the wife to the palace. I asked the husband and he confessed. He said it was the handiwork of the devil.
“I called the police from the Agbado Police Division to arrest him. They said he had been transferred to the state command headquarters. I have been following the case. This is a pure murder case and I want the police to duly prosecute the suspect and let him face the law.”
The monarch added that the suspect’s wife told him in the presence of his chiefs that she saw the bottle with him two days before the incident.
He said, “The woman thought the bottle contained herbs. She said she left the child with him to sweep the compound, only to return and met Zainab gasping and foaming in the mouth. She said she smelled pesticide in the baby’s mouth.”
Confirming the incident, the state police spokesperson, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said, “The corpse of the baby has been deposited in a mortuary. The case has been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation for further investigation.
“We have the suspect with us and he is going to be properly investigated. He and others found culpable in the course of our investigation will be charged to court.”
