Metro
How my three children suffocated, died in my husband’s borrowed car – Kwara woman Narrates
Shade Silifat Abdulkadir, the mother of the three children who suffocated to death in a parked car in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, last week Sunday, has broken her silence on the tragic incident.
In an interview with journalists on the last moments of the deceased children, 37-year-old Shade appealed to Nigerians to come to her aid.
The first child, Maryam was 10 years old, Nudrah, the second child was 8 years and the third, Mohammed, was 2.
All three children died after suffocating in the car parked in their residence.
Gatherings confirmed that the vehicle was borrowed by their father from his elder brother.
Speaking at her family house, Ile Magaji, Taiwo Isale, in Ilorin, Shade pleaded with all mothers to come to her aid.
Narrating the incident, Shade said, “It happened on Sunday around some minutes to 2:00 pm, shortly after I finished cooking rice for them. It was my second daughter, Nudrah, who told me that she would not eat rice in school the next day (Monday) and that she would prefer spaghetti.
“I have money in the shop and N700 in my Opay account but was left with cash of N200 only. I live at No 8 Boluke area in the Zango-Kulende area of Ilorin and operate a shop at Oke-Andi, Zango, where I sell provisions and other items.
“It would only cost me N200 to go and come back home. So I told my children that if at all, what I have is not up to buying what you want, I have people I can collect money from till I get to shop on Monday and I left. This is not the first time I would leave them and go to buy something.
“Sometimes, I would leave them and go and fetch water and they would be playing inside. At times, if I get a job from churches, mosques or from any celebrant to help make doughnuts or snacks, because I am also a caterer, I go and deliver it to the customers and leave the children at home.
“My husband married another wife which I didn’t get to know on time. I faced a lot of issues in my marriage which is now 11 years and there has never been peace.
“My husband has been moving with the lady called Kafayat from Oke-Ode for quite some time and I was told to be patient and my family and his are aware of the development.
“Sometimes he comes home around 11:00 pm and leaves home very early in the morning. All my children were not gotten in peace, it was from one trouble to another. Sometimes, if we had a quarrel, he would drive me outside in the middle of the night. His name is Jimoh Abdulkadir from Babanloma in Kwara South.
“It happened that he impregnated the girl but the child died after birth. On the day of marriage, he introduced the wife to me. But penultimate Saturday, the lady gave birth again. I am not his first wife. A lady had given birth to a child for him before but I met him as a single father and he was not like this before I married him.
“So after his second wife had her second child, my husband informed me and I went to greet him.
“When I woke up on Sunday, I saw the voice note of my husband that Kafayat has relocated from her previous apartment in case I still want to come and greet her. They have been married not even up to a year and they had a societal wedding unlike mine which was only Nikkah.
“On Thursday and Saturday, I went to greet her in the new location described by my husband. And it was after I went to greet Kafayat at home that he suddenly changed his attitude towards me. If I sleep in the bedroom, he would sleep in the parlour and if I sleep in the parlour, he would go to the bedroom. But all my family and friends advised me to be patient for the sake of the children whenever I complained.
“They didn’t tell me anything about the naming ceremony except people that called me to ask why I was not present,” Shade declared.
She said it was on Saturday, after they finished the naming, that her husband brought the car owned by his elder brother home which they used to do all the running around and packing of items during the event.
“Although before we got married, his brother had been using the car and this is not his first time he would borrow it.
“If we were talking during the period or I had a premonition of what would happen, I would have told him to return the car to the owner who will need it to go to work on Monday. He didn’t return the car and didn’t park it at the venue of the event. Why is it that he had to park it here where I am staying?
“Now the car was there from that Saturday till Sunday when the incident happened.
“After the children requested noodles to take to school the next day, I went to the shop to get the indomie noodles for them. Before I went, my last born, Mohammed, was crying but I said the sun was much and I would not want to take him outside because of the heat. I called Maryam who is the eldest to take care of her siblings.
“But when I came back, I noticed that the children had scattered the entire room and met the door open. I also saw their shoes and envisaged they would not be out of the premises because they would put on their shoes if they were going outside the gate. I never thought of the vehicle even for a second.
“From my house to the shop is just a N100 bike. I called out for them when I came and couldn’t find them. Initially I thought they were playing hide and seek with me. I checked everywhere but to no avail. My landlady had gone to work because she was on morning duty.
“The flat next to us was occupied by aged couples and my children don’t usually go inside their house except on a few occasions.
“When I couldn’t find them, I checked inside the domestic well but nothing was there, I took Okada to the junction crying that I couldn’t find my children.
“When I came back, I went to knock at the door of the next flat to tell them that I couldn’t find my children, the woman’s husband was already asleep.
“She told me she heard their cries about 10 minutes ago, when she was even calling Maryam, asking why she was beating her siblings. Later something just told me to check inside the vehicle and I saw them inside.
“I managed to open one of the doors and met them just lying down but the remaining three doors did not open. I was asking them why they went inside the car, which they don’t usually do. But their posture and the way I saw them made me terrified, I called them but no answer and I started shouting for help.
“It was the woman’s husband that came to force the other doors open and dragged Mohammed out, his hand got injured in the process.
“So my shout later attracted some boys and other people outside, some of whom jumped our security fence and we started pouring water on them to revive them but to no avail. It was those people that rushed them to Olutayo hospital, I didn’t see them after that.
“Me and my husband were still not in talking terms up till that Sunday morning, though he slept in the house that day but people would hardly know that we have issues or are quarrelling because he still used to take us to the shop and drop us at home and the children were even appreciating him. Even if he wants to communicate with me, it’s through the children.
“Earlier before that day, he sent Maryam to go and ask a nearby vulcanizer, Jamiu, how much it will cost to repair one of the tyres of the vehicle,” she stated.
The distraught mother added: “Since the incident I have not set my eyes on their dad but I was told he came here at our family house.
“He has also called me twice since the incident saying thrash for all I care, asking when am I coming home or what do I feel.
“The police came and I also narrated this to them. They said the Inspector General of Police was interested and was the one who called the Commissioner of Police to inquire what was going on in Kwara State before they later sent officers here.
“But I have strengthened my faith in Almighty Allah coupled with the people that God surrounded me with. That is just what is keeping me going.” [Dailypost]
Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the killing of a police officer in Delta State.
Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations for 82 Division Nigerian Army said the IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) kingpin popularly known as ‘Calamity’ was arrested during a raid on the terrorists’ hideout in Nwofe, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Calamity was arrested alongside four others by troops of Sector 2, Operation UDO KA during the ongoing Operation EASTERN SANITY in the early hours of today, Tuesday, April 21.
According to Ayeni, the operation was conducted by the troops following credible intelligence that linked the suspect and his accomplice to the killing of a police officer.
He added that another individual was also injured by the suspected criminals during an attack at Okuku-Igbo in Oshimili North LGA, Delta State on February 26.
Ayeni stated that during the said attack, the suspects carted away two AK-47 rifles.
“In an attempt to evade arrest after intensified security operations in Delta State, “Calamity” and his men relocated to Ebonyi State to look for a haven and established a new criminal camp to continue their violent activities.
“Acting on actionable intelligence, troops stormed the hideout and apprehended five suspects, including the commander (Calamity) and 4 other suspects who are also key members of IPOB/ESN.
“At the time of arrest, “Calamity” was found in possession of a black handbag containing five mobile phones and numerous keys,” Ayeni said.
He mentioned other items recovered from the suspects include a black Kcsanya motorcycle.
The suspects, he said, are currently in custody and undergoing further investigation to dismantle the wider network of criminal collaborators and recover other weapons hidden by the group.
“This successful operation underscores the determination of the Nigerian Armed Forces in collaboration with other security agencies to neutralise terrorist threats, restore peace, and protect law-abiding citizens across the region.
“The military reiterates its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and calls on members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely information that will aid ongoing operations,” Ayeni noted.
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a prophetess and a suspected ‘fake’ midwife in connection with separate cases of maternal and infant deaths in the Akure and Emure-Ile areas of the state.
The arrests, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the police spokesperson in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, followed incidents recorded earlier this month in which two women and their newborns died after childbirth was handled outside recognised medical facilities.
Abayomi said the prophetess identified as Blessing Efiong was apprehended in Emure-Ile after allegedly conducting the delivery of a 20-year-old woman, Jenifer Sunday, inside a church.
He explained that Augustine Kufre reported the case on April 11, stating that his girlfriend was taken to the church after she went into labour.
“The newborn reportedly died at the scene, while the mother died on the way to the hospital following complications,” Abayomi said.
In a related development, operatives of the command also apprehended one Elizabeth Aremu in Akure for allegedly posing as a midwife.
DSP Abayomi said the incident, reported on April 16, involved the death of a woman, Blessing Lawal, who was said to have gone into labour at Aremu’s residence in the Gloryland area, off Ado Road.
According to him, the victim developed complications shortly after delivery and died before she could be rushed to a medical facility.
He said detectives who visited the scene discovered the newborn’s lifeless body wrapped in a sack.
Abayomi said the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo morgue for preservation and autopsy.
He added that investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incidents and bring those found culpable to justice.
Abayomi, however, cautioned residents against patronising unqualified individuals for medical services, especially during childbirth, stressing the need to seek care from licensed health professionals.
“In both cases, detectives from the Command have commenced thorough investigations. The remains of the deceased mothers and their infants have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, and the Federal Medical Centre morgue, respectively, for preservation and autopsy.
“The Ondo State Police Command assures the public that diligent investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding these tragic incidents and to ensure that all persons found culpable are brought to justice.
“The Command strongly advises members of the public to always seek medical care from qualified and licensed healthcare providers, particularly in critical situations such as childbirth, and to avoid unregulated facilities or individuals posing as medical practitioners,” he said.
The command reiterated its resolve to protect lives and clamp down on all forms of criminal negligence in the state.
Tension is mounting in Benue State after bandits demanded ₦9 million each for two students believed to be JAMB candidates abducted from a commercial bus, even as the Nigeria Police Force announced a major breakthrough with the arrest of seven suspects and the rescue of some victims.
The victims were among passengers seized on Wednesday when gunmen intercepted an 18-seater Benue Links bus travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo, forcing occupants into nearby bush paths in what has become a chilling pattern of highway kidnappings in the region.
Family In Distress As Ransom Soars
In an emotional appeal, the father of two of the abducted students said the kidnappers have escalated their demands after a series of confusing negotiations, leaving the family devastated and helpless.
According to him, the abductors initially demanded ₦10 million for each of the victims before briefly dropping the figure to ₦500,000, only to return with a hardline demand of ₦9 million per child.
“I have two children that were kidnapped in that bus and none of them has been released,” the distraught father said.
“They first asked for ₦10 million each, later said ₦500,000, but now they insist on ₦9 million each. We are still begging them.”
The father, who spoke under anonymity for security reasons, revealed that his children were travelling from Nasarawa State when they fell into the hands of the kidnappers after boarding the ill-fated vehicle.
“Even if you sell me, I cannot be worth the ₦9 million they are asking for each of them,” he lamented.
He said the incident has thrown the family into emotional turmoil, disclosing that his wife has not eaten since the abduction, while the family now clings to hope for government intervention.
Sources say several of the victims were young travellers, including students heading to write examinations, heightening public outrage over the targeting of vulnerable citizens on Nigerian highways.
The attack has again spotlighted the growing insecurity along major routes in Benue and neighbouring states, where bandits and suspected armed herdsmen have increasingly tightened their grip.
Amid the rising anxiety, the Benue State Police Command confirmed a breakthrough in the ongoing rescue operation.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, the command said a coordinated operation involving multiple security agencies has yielded results.
“The Benue State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of a significant breakthrough following the kidnapping incident,” the statement read.
According to the police, operatives launched a targeted search-and-rescue mission in Amla Forest and surrounding areas, leading to the rescue of some victims, who are now receiving medical attention.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of seven suspects, who are currently in custody as investigations continue.
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