A long history of domestic abuse has ended in a horrific tragedy in Akufo, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, after a 49-year-old man, Lekan Adedeji, allegedly killed his 44-year-old wife, Zainab, with acid before ingesting the substance himself. The incident has orphaned their three surviving children, two of whom live with sickle cell disorder.
According to the deceased woman’s younger sister, Morufat Ashake, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, the couple’s 25-year marriage was marred by persistent violence and compounded by the genetic discovery that both were carriers of the sickle cell trait. This resulted in the birth of six children, three of whom died from complications related to sickle cell disorder.
Ashake detailed the events leading to the fatal weekend in December. She claimed the husband lured his wife to their home under the pretext of providing school fees for their second daughter. Once there, he sent the children outside, locked the door, and attacked his wife. “He poured acid on her body and attempted to force her to drink it. When he could not make her drink it, he poured it all over her. He then drank the acid himself,” Ashake stated.
Despite medical efforts costing over N4 million, Zainab Adedeji succumbed to her injuries on January 23. The mother of the deceased, Titilayo Ayoola, 62, corroborated the account of abuse and now faces the burden of caring for the orphaned children: Rashida (20, SS), Folawe (17, AS), and Folahanmi (6, SS).
The eldest child, Rashida, expressed the family’s despair: “We lost our mum and our dad. We are in so much pain, and now there is nobody to take care of us.” The family is now appealing to the public for urgent assistance to meet the children’s medical and educational needs.
The tragedy underscores the devastating intersection of domestic violence, genetic health challenges, and the lack of social safety nets in Nigeria.
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