By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A jealous Nigerian man who beat his wife to death with their son’s skateboard in a ‘ruthless and cold-blooded’ attack has been jailed for at least 17 years.
A United Kingdom Court had remanded Olubunmi Abodunde, aged 48 for killing his wife after he suspected her of having extramarital affairs.
According to Mail Online, the remanded suspect beat his wife to death with his son’s skateboard while police waited outside for permission from their bosses to go in.
It was further reported that UK policemen heard ‘a number of bangs’ inside the house that Abodunde had entered, despite bail conditions imposed the day before that barred him from the residence due to his previous record of domestic violence.
When they arrived 25 minutes later, they discovered his wife, named Taiwo Abodunde and aged 41, with her skull bashed in’.
He reportedly wielded the toy with such force on his wife Taiwo that a pathologist was unable to establish how many blows she had sustained.
Mail Online reports that jailing the defendant for life with a minimum of 17 years behind bars, Judge Martyn Levett of Ipswich Crown Court told him he was ‘ferocious, ruthless, cold-blooded, callous and savage’.
Abodunde had said very little about what happened and gave ‘no comment’ responses during a police interview.
But the judge added: ‘The simple fact is that you strangled your wife and then beat her to death and used one of the children’s skateboards to batter her skull.’
Abodunde was jealous and suspicious throughout his marriage and accused his wife of having affairs.
During the hearing, the court heard the couple, who had three children, arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2022.
The court heard that she suffered “catastrophic injuries” during the attack in Newmarket, Suffolk, on November 28, 2023.
A post-mortem examination later showed Taiwo had been throttled until she fell unconscious, then stamped on until her ribs were broken, before her husband used the skateboard to finish her off. The blows were so violent that the skateboard was damaged.
Prosecutor Simon Spence KC told the court the banging officers heard was likely to have been Abodunde continuing to attack his wife after she was unconscious or dead.
As well as clashes over the alleged affairs, there were also arguments about bills.
The suspect whom Suffolk Police had investigated for domestic abuse was supposed to stand murder trial but changed his plea to guilty after the jury was sworn in yesterday.
Judge Martyn Levett of Ipswich Crown Court informed him that the only possible penalty was life imprisonment.
Suffolk Constabulary presented themselves to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, which verified that three officers were under investigation.
Abiodun had a history of jealousy and suspicion and accused his wife of having affairs. He had been investigated by police several times over alleged domestic violence incidents before his wife’s death.
He was arrested on April 27 last year when police arrived at the couple’s home in Newmarket, Suffolk, and found Mrs Abodunde with a split lip.
Later that day he was freed on police bail with the condition that he stayed away from the marital home and didn’t approach his wife.