The Ogun State Police Command has launched an investigation into the killing of a mother of three, Ayobami Ayanwale, allegedly by her husband, Ayoola Ayanwale, in a tragic domestic incident that has shocked residents of the River Valley Estate area of Ojodu Berger.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday night at Olutayo Alao Street, where the woman was attacked during a domestic dispute. She was rushed to the hospital but was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.
The suspect fled the scene after the attack. However, on Friday, his body was discovered in the Sotubo area, where he was found in distress in an open field in what authorities described as a suspected suicide.
A security source who visited the couple’s residence told Sunday PUNCH that officers recovered three knives from the scene, prompting an immediate manhunt before the suspect was later found dead.
Items recovered from him reportedly included two mobile phones, an ATM card, a voter’s card, and a bottle containing a suspected liquid, which helped investigators confirm his identity and link him to the earlier incident.
The deceased woman’s three children have since been placed in the care of relatives.
A neighbour of the couple, identified on X as @Irebamiolakanmi, alleged that the killing followed a long history of domestic violence, claiming the incident happened in the presence of the children.
She wrote:
“This man stabbed his wife five times and he is on the run. For someone who comes home once or twice a year, someone who does not care how the children were feeding or how their school fees were paid.”
She added:
“She once told me she was always happy when he was not around because that was when she had peace of mind.”
Expressing regret, the neighbour said she had earlier advised the victim to leave the marriage.
“I told her to leave… but she said she had three children. Now that the man has killed her, who will take care of the children?”
She further stated:
“He killed his wife in the presence of his three children… Imagine a 12- or 13-year-old girl witnessing the murder of her mother.”
The brother of the deceased, speaking to TVC, narrated his final conversation with his sister:
“She called me that her husband had stabbed her and that I should start coming. I rushed to the hospital, but before we got there, she had passed.”
A young girl who lived with the family also told reporters that the suspect had earlier asked her to leave the house that night.
“He said he was about to do something he did not want me to be involved in,” she said.
A close friend of the deceased disclosed that Ayobami had previously shown signs of abuse.
“There was a time I saw bruises all over her neck. She was beaten badly… I advised her to get another apartment, but she said her husband’s sisters abroad told her not to leave.”
Confirming the development, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said:
“The case has been harmonised and transferred to the State CID for investigation. Their bodies have been deposited in the mortuary, respectively.”
The incident has reignited conversations around domestic violence, child safety, and the need for early intervention in abusive relationships.