Residents of Idekan Farm Settlement in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, were left in shock after a man named Matthew James killed his 55-year-old wife, Etim Mary, over suspicions of an extramarital affair. The tragic event occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Sources from the community and the police revealed that James, now in custody, suspected his wife of being involved with another man in the community. An eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the incident, confirmed that police operatives from the Ijebu-Igbo Division had detained the suspect.
According to the eyewitness, James and his late wife had a “blood covenant” promising not to betray each other. “They had vowed never to leave each other. James married her when she was already aging and had grown-up children from a previous marriage,” the source explained. “He suspected her of having an affair, and upon returning one morning, he hacked her to death with a machete. He didn’t flee; he just stood beside her after the act.”
Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the state police command, commented on the incident, stating that the wife was pronounced dead by a doctor after being rushed to the hospital by residents. “She was found in a pool of blood outside the house around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, with deep cuts on her forehead, shoulders, and other body parts. James was found with the blood-soaked machete believed to have been used in the attack,” Odutola said.
The body was taken to a general hospital in Ijebu-Igbo, where she was certified dead. Her corpse has been deposited at Alayangbe Private Mortuary in Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo, for an autopsy. “We will transfer the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abeokuta once the preliminary investigation is concluded,” Odutola added.
This incident mirrors a similar case in April in Ekiti, where Dare Onipede allegedly killed his wife, Arinola, during a dispute over accusations of infidelity. The suspect reportedly stabbed his wife, the mother of three, to death.
