Beatrice Safiu, a 62-year-old mother of six who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the alleged murder of her husband, Oluwatoyin Morufu Safiu, has regained her freedom after nine years. Mrs. Safiu, who resided with her husband in Igere, Ihunusa Opic Extension, Agbara, Ogun State, reportedly killed him after learning that his concubine had given birth.
According to reports, Mrs. Safiu allegedly poured acid on her husband’s face while he was asleep and then used a pestle to attack him. She was released on Saturday following an announcement by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, during the June 12th celebration. In his exercise of the prerogative of mercy, Governor Abiodun ordered the release of 41 inmates and commuted the death sentences of 45 convicts to life imprisonment.
Governor Abiodun explained that the prisoners who benefited from this gesture had shown remorse, acquired skills and certificates during their incarceration, and several had even graduated with degrees from the National Open University of Nigeria.
Recounting the events that led to her incarceration, Mrs. Safiu told Newsmen, “It’s a case of murder. I had a fight with my husband over a strange woman whom he impregnated and wanted to bring into my home. I refused, and that caused a fight; he was coming from the restroom with a bucket of acid he wanted to pour on me and in self-defense, I used my pestle that I use in pounding to hit the bucket and the whole liquid poured on him.”
She continued, “All I was hearing was ‘Ara mi o, Ara mi o (my body, my body)’ then he ran into the bathroom, entered the bathtub and tried to wash his body. So I ran out of the house to call my neighbor who is an evangelist. We rushed him to Agbara Medical Center first but he was rejected, they said they don’t have equipment for acid patients. We took him to another hospital around Agbara and he was also rejected so we had to drive to Badagry General Hospital; on getting there, they said there was no ward to place him and gave me a written note for us to take him to Lagos General Hospital.”
Mrs. Safiu revealed that her husband died around Alakija when their car broke down and she went to look for petrol. Expressing her gratitude for her release, she said, “I am very happy. I thank God for his grace upon my life because I know that it is grace that spoke for me. It was a tough experience here and I was able to survive through the grace of God.”
The Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of Ibara Maximum Correction Centre, Opadeji Ayoola, thanked the governor for his initiative, which he said would help decongest correctional facilities. Ayoola urged the public to welcome the released inmates back into society to aid in their reintegration.
