A 25-year-old woman, Juliana Adeyemo, was brutally stabbed by an unidentified person suspected to be a soldier in 32 Artilery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Owena Barracks, Akure, Ondo State.
The victim who sold recharge cards at the barracks, was found in a pool of her own blood in her apartment in Block 5, inside the barracks on Sunday, March 13, 2016.
The husband of the deceased, Mr. Wale Adeyemo, who said he was not around when the incident happened, alleged that the killer carried out the act on his wife in the presence of her two young children.
He said there were many cuts on her body which indicated that she was stabbed to death.
He said, “One of our children, Dayo, a four-year-old, said the soldier entered into the apartment and killed his mother on the day.”
He lamented that the deceased struggled with her killer and screamed along with her children but no one came to their aid, not neighbours, not soldiers.
He said after the deed, the killer stole all the money in the house and the recharge cards that his late wife sold.
Asked why the matter was not reported at the police station since his wife was a civilian living in the barracks, Wale explained that he was told by the leadership of the brigade not to report the matter at the police station, that army authority would handle it.
“I am appealing to the army authority and the government to help me arrest the killer of my wife. I don’t want the matter to be swept under the carpet,” Wale said.
The Public Relations Officer of the 32 Artilery Brigade, Captain Ojo Adelegan, who confirmed the incident, said the brigade had commenced investigation into the matter .
Adelegan has said it was not a soldier responsible for the murder but he promised that the matter would be followed to its conclusion.
“The incident is unfortunate, but I want to tell you that it was not a soldier that killed the woman. It is not possible, our soldiers cannot do such a thing; they are responsible officers,” Adelega finished.