Nigerian Kills Ex-Lover In UK Over Child’s Religious Faith
It had started with the blazing fire of new-found lovers.
Consumed by their passion, and determined to share love and emotional affinity,
neither Esther Arogundade, 32, nor Shola Adebiyi, both Nigerians, cared a hoot
about their religious differences. They found love between themselves, and
religion was not going to be a barrier. Or so they thought. While Arogundade
was a devout Christian, Adebiyi was a committed Muslim.
Between them, they could handle their
religious differences. But a third member, their daughter, soon joined to
change their calculation. The faith to be practised by the two-year-old
daughter became an issue. Should she be allowed to be a Muslim like
the father or should she, like the mother, be a Christian? Neither parent
accepted to bulge. And that began to generate tension and create rift between
the erstwhile lovers.
The disagreement between them
strained their relationship and that drove Arogundade into the arms of another
man.
Unable to stand being ditched by her,
Adebiyi plotted his revenge. One day, Adebiyi, a kitchen porter, attacked
Arogundade, a worker with KFC, with a kitchen knife in her home and stabbed her
13 times.
He also drank oven cleaner in an
attempt to kill himself and phoned Arogundade's new lover to say he would never
see her again before confessing to the killing to a friend.
Police broke into the mother-of-two's
home in Salford, Greater Manchester, and found Arogundade lying dead on the
kitchen floor with multiple stab wounds to her back and front.
Adebiyi was jailed at Manchester
Crown Court for a minimum of 20-and-a-half years after admitting killing her.
The court heard how Arogundade began
dating Adebiyi in 2007 and that they later had a daughter now aged two but
split up last year after a series of rows.
Rob Hall prosecuting said: 'These
arguments were ignited by differences of opinion over the religion of their
daughter - the defendant wanted her to convert from Christian to Islam, but
Esther was a church goer.
'There were arguments about expenses, bills and childcare.'
Last March, Arogundade who also had a nine-year-old daughter living in Nigeria from a previous relationship, began a friendship with another man named in court as Mr. Alabi.
'There were arguments about expenses, bills and childcare.'
Last March, Arogundade who also had a nine-year-old daughter living in Nigeria from a previous relationship, began a friendship with another man named in court as Mr. Alabi.
While visiting family in Africa,
Alabi received a sinister phone call from Adebiyi, claiming he would be killed
if he returned to the UK.
Alabi told Arogundade about the call and she spoke to Adebiyi but he initially denied it.
Alabi told Arogundade about the call and she spoke to Adebiyi but he initially denied it.
Hall added: 'Mr. Alabi returned to
the UK and the relationship took the next step and it turned into a sexual
relationship.
'They spent a great deal of time
talking and texting on their mobile phones - it may well be that it came to the
attention of the defendant.'
On June 26, Adebiyi cleared out his locker at work at a conference centre in Manchester then left armed with a large kitchen knife and waited for Arogundade and their daughter to come home.
On June 26, Adebiyi cleared out his locker at work at a conference centre in Manchester then left armed with a large kitchen knife and waited for Arogundade and their daughter to come home.
Throughout that evening, there were
phone calls between Alabi and Arogundade and also a child minder who was booked
for the next day.
But the following morning, Adebiyi was said to have made 'frantic arrangements' to get child care for his daughter and handed her over at 9.50 am along with her birth certificate and left in her push chair.
But the following morning, Adebiyi was said to have made 'frantic arrangements' to get child care for his daughter and handed her over at 9.50 am along with her birth certificate and left in her push chair.
He then called Alabi, who asked about
the whereabouts and welfare of Arogundade only to be told he would never see
her again.
He then called a friend and confessed he had killed her, claiming it had happened during a fight.
He then called a friend and confessed he had killed her, claiming it had happened during a fight.
The friend went to the house and saw
Adebiyi come out wearing a blood-stained T-shirt and holding a large
black-handled knife.
He saw him throw the knife into nearby bushes.
He saw him throw the knife into nearby bushes.
In mitigation, defence counsel,
Michael Lavery, said his client had made a 'very genuine' attempt to take his
own life by drinking oven cleaner.
He added: “He took the knife to kill himself and his partner. He's lost his daughter as well as a consequence of his own actions.
He added: “He took the knife to kill himself and his partner. He's lost his daughter as well as a consequence of his own actions.
“Many men and women have to endure
the discovery that the husband, wife or partner is no longer content with the
relationship they have. What the law cannot permit is the use of violence,
which is what you used.
“It is tragic for the victim of this murder and a tragedy for the daughter and for the father too. It is his own fault, I know, but that is not going to make it easier for her.”
“It is tragic for the victim of this murder and a tragedy for the daughter and for the father too. It is his own fault, I know, but that is not going to make it easier for her.”
Passing sentence, Judge Andrew
Gilbart QC told Adebiyi it was not clear exactly when he had killed Arogundade.
He added: “Your relationship had come
to an end with frequent disagreements and rows between the two of you.
“She formed a relationship with another man. You resented it, and tried to warn him off with threats.
“She formed a relationship with another man. You resented it, and tried to warn him off with threats.
“She let you know that she no longer
wanted to be with you and wanted to pursue a relationship with another man.
“You were most upset at that prospect. She sought friendship elsewhere, including in an affair with another man. You were understandably upset but let me be clear about this.
“You were most upset at that prospect. She sought friendship elsewhere, including in an affair with another man. You were understandably upset but let me be clear about this.
“Many men and women have to endure
the discovery that the husband, wife or partner is no longer content with the
relationship they have.
“Many are jealous or unhappy. But what the law cannot and will not permit is the use of violence, which is what you used.
“Many are jealous or unhappy. But what the law cannot and will not permit is the use of violence, which is what you used.
“I am prepared to accept that you
were very upset - and indeed distraught - at what was happening to your
relationship.
“'When you acted as you did you were under considerable emotional strain.”
After the case, Senior Investigator Andrew Tattersall of Greater Manchester Police said: “The biggest tragedy here is that a young girl has now been deprived of both her parents.
“'When you acted as you did you were under considerable emotional strain.”
After the case, Senior Investigator Andrew Tattersall of Greater Manchester Police said: “The biggest tragedy here is that a young girl has now been deprived of both her parents.
“Her mother was taken from her in a
vengeful, violent attack and no sentence today can bring her back.”
Source: Thisday
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