A 23-year-old woman, Stella Peter, has been arrested by homicide detectives in Lagos State, for allegedly stabbing her live-in-partner, Bala Haruna, aged 25, to death over his refusal to finance their daughter’s one-year birthday party.
The incident occurred Tuesday morning at No. 2, Tejuosho Avenue, Surulere where the suspect and the deceased have lived as a couple for three years.
It was gathered that Peter, a native of Kogi State, had an argument with her Kebbi State partner, Haruna, following his inability to raise N30,000 for their daughter’s birthday, which was yesterday. The couple, it was gathered, started having dispute before 6:00a.m. after Haruna, a phone charger, was said to have given his woman N3,000 to buy biscuits and share among kids in the slum neighbourhood.
According to a neighbor, who simply identified himself as Alhaji, the woman got angry insisting she wanted to host a party and want a Disc Jockey (DJ) hired for the celebration. “Today (Tuesday) was their daughter’s birthday. She said she wanted N30,000 to host a party for the child but her husband said he did not have money.
“He gave her N3,000 that she should buy biscuits and share to other children but the woman got angry. They argued and it turned to a fight. That was when she took a kitchen knife and stabbed him. The blood was pumping out. It could not be stopped. Even when he was taken to the hospital and mortuary, the blood was still coming out. He died in the house because it was blood and water that was coming out. Now, I am afraid of women and I don’t think I will ever get married,” the neighbour said.
At the residence located directly behind Oba Tejuosho’s palace, forensic experts from the Lagos State ministry of justice and homicide detectives from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, were sweeping the scene for fingerprints and other exhibits. Their room was cordoned off while the officials were evacuating their equipment.
Petty traders along the avenue condemned the suspect for demanding such money from Haruna, who they said operated his phone charging business from a makeshift kiosk by the canal.
“How can you kill your husband over birthday party? Where did she expect him to get the money from? The young man does not even have money to do business. He is a phone charger. People pay him N50 to charge their phones. He also assists people to upload music to their memory card and download games/apps,” a woman said.
Confirming the incident, spokesman of the police in Lagos, Bala Elkana, said they received the complaint at about 6:00a.m., adding that the woman would be charged with murder.
“The couple who were not actually married lived together for three years and have a baby who just turned one. An argument ensued between them, which turned violent and the woman used a kitchen knife to stab the man in the back, which led to his death.
“The woman accused the man of refusing to release money for their daughter’s birthday party. Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation. The suspect confessed to the commission of the crime. She will be charged to court for murder,” he said.
