A 21-year-old woman, Balikis Bankole, has accused her mother in-law, Mrs. Folashade Adeyeye, of killing her five-month-old son, Akeem Adeyeye, after she performed some traditional rites on the baby.
Adeyeye, a native of Ondo State, had, before the ritual, insisted that “it was a tradition in the family, expected to be carried out on new-born babies.”
It was gathered that the mother of the child, Bankole, had opposed her mother-in-law’s plan to perform the purported rituals on her son, but she declined.
Bankole also alleged that her husband and father of her deceased child, Kazeem Adeyeye, had since been threatening to kill her.
Our correspondent learnt that trouble started between the couple in October when the baby clocked five months.
Bankole, who claimed that she never had any problem with Kazeem since the beginning of their relationship, alleged that her husband, shortly after returning from work on October 31, suddenly pounced on her, saying that she had been “slandering” the name of his mother.
Speaking with our correspondent, she said, “When my son turned five months, his father forcibly took him to his mother. That day, I was in my room when I heard a knock on the door, but before I knew what was happening my boyfriend and two of his brothers barged in and started beating me and raining abuses on me; neighbours around tried to intervene, but they didn’t stop beating me. My husband’s younger brother packed my son’s clothes in a nylon bag and took him away with them. I tried to stop them, but all to no avail. I followed them on a bike to my mother-in-law’s house at Ayetoro, where they took my son and handed him over to her.
“I pleaded that they should release my son but they refused. Throughout that day, I was there begging, but they threw me out. My mother in-law then said she would have to perform a ritual (etutu) before releasing my son. She said that was the tradition in their family. But just a few weeks later, Kazeem, exactly on December 5, called me to tell me that my son was dead and that I should also run for my life because he would kill me if he saw me anywhere.”
But when contacted, Kazeem, 27, said Bankole was responsible for the death of the child.
He alleged that she had sworn to kill the child and make his own life, too, miserable, adding that the child died mysteriously five days after Bankole made the threat.
“The baby died five days after Balikis said she was going to kill him. She is a witch. My life has become miserable since I met her. She even told me that she was not interested in the relationship again; that the baby would not allow her do what she wanted and that she could kill him if she wished,” Kazeem said.
He added that Bankole was noted for trouble-making in the area.
“Since I married her, there has never been peace; she is a trouble maker. There is nobody in the neighborhood that she has not fought; even me and my family. Because of the nature of my work, I don’t stay at home. And the report I got was that she always beat the child. Even neighbours told me that I should take away the baby from her, that she didn’t have time for the baby,” he said.
My mother in-law said she would have to do ritual (etutu) before releasing my son; that that is the tradition in their family.
But just few weeks later, Kazeem called to tell me that my son was dead
When contacted, Bankole’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Folakemi Adeyeye, stressed that the said ritual was only meant to scare her because of her “bad behaviour.”
She said, “Balikis, on many occasions, beat the late baby, fought with her husband and neighbours. I bought her clothes worth N50,000 but she burnt
them all.
“At a particular time, Balikis stripped her husband naked and she did not feel sorry about it. Many times, she beat the child that even the neighbours became worried. They called the husband to take away the baby from her as she was not ready to raise the child. My son eventually took away the baby because she left the child unattended to for three days. She even voluntarily rejected the child, that she won’t care for him again. And when my son brought me the child, I took him to the police station at Itele, Ayobo area, to report so that I won’t be accused of kidnapping.”
Recalling how the baby died in her custody, she said, “On the day the baby died, he was not sick at all. He just started developing hot temperature at about 12 noon. I rushed him to the hospital, where he died shortly after.
“Before then, Balikis had vowed that she would kill the child and make my son’s life miserable.”
Findings by our correspondent at the couple’s residence revealed that Kazeem had forcibly taken the baby from her, insisting that the said ritual proposed by his mother must be carried out on the baby.
A resident, who identified herself as Tawa Iyanda, said, “They truly took the baby from her, but it was because she was fond of fighting her husband every time. There was a time she fought and stripped her husband naked. She is also fond of making trouble with co-tenants in the house.”
The director of a human rights organisation, Jashabel Touch a Heart Foundation, Mrs. Favour Benson, said investigation was ongoing on the case, especially on the death of the five-month-old baby.
“We are currently investigating the case along with the police. We have reported to the appropriate authorities. We will intensify investigation, especially on the death of the baby, and the offender shall be brought to book, thereafter,” Benson said.
When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Chike Otti, said his office was not aware of the case.
He promised to get back to our correspondent on his findings.
