A 28-year-old Togolese, Isah Lamin, who was badly burnt
after she was doused with petrol by her boyfriend, Bakare
Kabiru, during an argument, has died in the hospital, five
days after the incident occurred at Alakia area of Ibadan,
Oyo state.
A friend of Kabiru, one Ahmed Muyideen also got badly
burnt as he was caught in the fire while trying to pull
Lamin up from where she was pushed by her lover during
the argument.
Crime Reports learnt that the Togolese, a single mother of
two, started dating Kabiru, a tipper driver sometimes in
2015, though the suspect was married and had three
children from a former wife.
The lovers reportedly had a misunderstanding on March 13,
2016 at the Tipper Park at Alakia, prompting Kabiru to ask
Lamin to go to her residence where she rented.
After she left, Kabiru asked Muyideen who is also a driver
to accompany him to a place, only for Muyideen to see
that it was Lamin’s residence when they got there.
Crime Reports further gathered that while going, Muyideen
had noticed a keg of petrol that the suspect held and had
jokingly asked that he should be given the petrol so that he
could pour it in his vehicle’s tank. But Kabiru replied that
the petrol was for his generating set to enable him watch
football.
On arrival at Lamin’s house, a fresh argument broke out
between the lovers, resulting in Kabiru slapping the lady.
The slap prompted Lamin to hold on to Kabiru’s knickers,
while Muyideen made efforts to separate them, castigating
his friend for beating a woman.
Smarting from the treatment meted to her by Kabiru,
Crime Reports learnt that Lamin held on to his knickers
again. The action was said to have earned her a hard
punch from her boyfriend, resulting in her falling down
beside a stove that a co-tenant was cooking on.
As Kabiru’s friend attempted to lift the lady, Kabiru
allegedly splashed a quantity of petrol from the keg he
brought to the house on Lamin, igniting both the lady and
Muyideen.
Muyideen reportedly rushed out, attempting to tear his
burning clothes off while the suspect and sympathisers
rushed to save Lamin by pouring water on her.
Crime Reports learnt that Muyideen and Lamin were
rushed to a nearby private hospital but Lamin was
rejected, with the advice that she should be taken to a
better equipped hospital because of the degree of the
burns she suffered.
Policemen from Egbeda Division were said to have
arrested Kabiru in the hospital premises, while the case
was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation
Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, for further investigation on
Friday, March 18.
Things however took a different turn when news filtered
into the State CID shortly after the case was received that
Lamin had died.
Muyideen was said to be receiving treatment in the
hospital, though his burns also seemed extensive.
Speaking with Crime Reports on Saturday, Kabiru denied
that he deliberately poured petrol on his girlfriend and,
inadvertently, his friend, saying that the petrol spewed out
when he mistakenly stepped on its container which fell
where he put it during the misunderstanding with his
girlfriend.
Giving an insight to what led to the fight between him and
the deceased, Kabiru said: “Lamin was my girlfriend. We
started a relationship in November 2015. She used to hawk
a local drink, Kunu, around and we met in the process.
“In February, she told me that she would like to get
pregnant for me. I replied her that time was not ripe for
such since our relationship was still young and I had yet to
know her relations. I said I was not ready.
She insisted that that was what she wanted. Because of
this disagreement, she changed towards me and when I
noticed this, I reduced my visit to her place.
“On Saturday, March 12, she came to me at our park and
informed me that she was going to her parents’ place at
Monatan area. She added that she knew I was treating her
shabbily because I had already slept with her and was
satisfied with that only. She said she would not take it
lying low.
On Sunday, March 13, I bought petrol for my generator and
mixed it with engine oil. I was in the motor park when she
passed by me.
She said was just coming from Monatan. She asked why I
greeted her and I asked whether her statement was
because of the argument of the previous day.
When she got home, she called me again and started
raking. She said I should return her battery phone and DVD
with me. It was during this that my friend, Muyideen came
to me. I asked him to follow me to Lamin’s house. I also
carried my keg of petrol with the intention that I would go
home from there. When we got to Lamin’s house, she
started making trouble with me and I slapped her. She held
on to me. I placed the keg I was holding on a bucket.
“An elderly woman tried to intervene but while on it, Lamin
came to hold me again. I pushed her away, unknown to me
that the keg I placed on a bucket fell. My friend went to
help her up and I wanted to storm off in anger. In the
process, I unknowingly stepped on the petrol keg, forcing
the stopper off. And because someone was cooking within
the house, the petrol.”
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