A 40‑year‑old man, Niyi Adebanjo, has reportedly beaten his 35‑year‑old wife, Toyin, to death in Ibadan, Oyo State. According to Metro’s reliable sources, Toyin, a mother of two who was nine months pregnant, was assaulted on Monday night, 20 February 2023, by her husband during an argument in their apartment in the Fodasis area, Ring Road, Ibadan South‑West Local Government Area.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that Toyin had been subjected to domestic violence for a long time, unknown to her family. Her mother, Iyabo Akinbode, told Metro on Wednesday that she never knew her daughter was facing abuse. “She never told anyone in the family what she was going through,” Akinbode said. “Two days before she died she called me saying she had a headache, and I told her to see a doctor. The next day she called again, saying she was not okay. When I arrived, I was told her husband beats her. She was nine months pregnant.”
Akinbode recounted that on Tuesday her daughter asked for pap, and she went to see her. As Toyin’s condition worsened, Akinbode called her husband, who suggested taking her to a nearby chemist—a suggestion she refused. She then took Toyin to The Light Hospital at Bolumole, Challenge. While at the hospital, she repeatedly called her son‑in‑law, but he did not answer until the evening, when Toyin had already died. Friends who arrived at the hospital began harassing the husband, accusing him of killing Toyin because she had confided in them about the abuse at home. “She was expected to give birth a few days before her death. She was beaten to the point of internal bleeding. This is pathetic,” Akinbode lamented, adding that she has not changed her attire since losing her daughter.
In response to the allegations, the husband, Niyi Adebanjo, admitted to an incident in 2018 involving his wife’s alleged infidelity, which was resolved after his elder brothers intervened. He claimed the infidelity continued, stating, “We had an issue in 2018, and I beat her then, but I never touched her again. I did not beat her when I saw a nude photo sent to her by one of her concubines, nor when she sent a nude photo back. Why would I beat her now, when she was nine months pregnant? These allegations are fabricated to frame me.” Adebanjo said a doctor’s report listed the cause of death as cardiac arrest and high blood pressure, and that police had offered to exhume the body if the family was not satisfied after burial. He accused authorities of blackmail.
Metro learned that the case was reported at Orita Police Station, and Toyin was buried in a private cemetery, Oke Itunu, in Ibadan North Local Government Area. As of press time, Oyo Police Command Public Relations Officer Adewale Osifeso could not be reached for comment.
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