marital
home. Though (once) married, she was living the life of a spinster, single and
searching frantically for love, when the winds of life blew Kehinde her way
again.

But the romance and bliss she had dreamt of, yearned to have with the love of
her life, turned to nightmare after Kehinde turnedner into his punch bag.

Like the classical woman of burden and out-field ‘wife,’ she had to bear the
blows and pains. But on September 11, the punching took a turn for something
more horrifying. Something Janet, in her wildest imagination, never believed
that ner lover/husband could ever do to her.

Kehinde, in a fit of jealousy and rage, had bought a keg of fuel, crept up to
Janet as she was preparing a meal of noodles spaghetti for a client, at the
JJcotun Roundabout where she had her food sales shop, and poured the fuel on
her.

At the twinkle of an eye, everything, within and around went up in flame and
exploded due to the fire and heat from the stove. Janet instantly became a ball
of fire, as she ran and screamed in pains, rolling on ground, fighting to douse
the flames which were fast ravaging all her body.

While traders whose shops were nean quickly scampered out of the way, to save
their shops. Others tried to fetch water and douse the fire on Janet.

The Nigerian Compass learnt that people were shocked to their bone marrows when
they saw Kehinde, rather than being shocked at what he had done to his love,
stare at her as she was screaming. He then hissed and walked to a shop to buy
and light a cigarette, before he left the scene.

When our correspondent met the victim at the Peaceful Convalescent Centre
hospital, Ejigbo on Sunday   afternoon, she narrated her terrifying
experience.

According to her, after the flame was doused, sysmpathisers rushed her to one
Blessing Hospital in Isheri area of Lagos State. But her woes continued. The
next morning, she was moved to Igando General Hospital due to the severe nature
of the burnt. When she got to Igando General Hospital, she was allegedly not
attended to, even as she was weeping and reeling in pains. Four nours after ner
arrival at the Hospital, she was told that there was no bed space.

Speaking in gasps of pain, Janet pleaded with the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos
State government and non-governmental organisations, especially ‘Project Alert-Violence
Against Women’ – not to allow Kehinde to go scot free for what he had done to
her.
She recalled that upon their running into each other, years after they had
parted, their love had seemingly, blossomed.

The man had promised to marry her, despite the fact that he was already married
and had four children. He told Janet that he could not imagine life without
her. And, like most women desperate for love, she fell, nook, line and sinker
for his wooing lines.

She was ready to believe his love, especially since, as some of her friends
told our correspondent that it was Kehinde who deflowered her.

To buttress his serious intentions, he rented an apartment for her. Many
people, including her friends and sister, addressed her as, ‘ Kehinde’s second
wife (Iyawo Kehinde).

Friends of Janet also told our correspondent that even before he rented the
apartment, Keninde had been pummeling her black and blue.

Narrating the genesis of her predicament, the Delta State born Janet, said:
“My husband has always been a jealous one. He used to beat me every time,
under any guise and excuse. I’ve tried several times to leave him, but he
always threatens to harm me. I stayed with him because I was afraid of him and
my life. He always told me that I could never escape from him, except I leave
Lagos State. Any time I said I was leaving him, he would say: “No
problem.” But would add that he would do something to me which I would not
forget.

“Now, see what he had done to me. He wanted to kill me.

“I used to sell indomie (spaghetti and noodles) at Ikotun round about.
There are other men and women selling there too. We’re all friends. Last two
weeks’ Friday, one of the traders had a baby. We went for the naming ceremony.
Kehinde was there with me. One of the traders gave me a drink. I just took a
sip because I was in my flow.

“That was how it all started. He said I was kissing another man in his
presence. He said that I sipped from the bottle that the man drank from. Right
there, he started threatening that he was going to deal with me when we get
home. To be on the safe side, I called my younger sister, telling her that I
might come over to spend the night at her place. I didn’t want him to beat me.

“When we got home, he cursed, abused and said all sort of things. But I didn’t
respond or reply because I didn’t want him to pounce on me. This behavior
continued till Saturday. He even kicked off the bed, but I didn’t mind. I slept
on the floor. When I woke up on Sunday, he had gone out. I rushed to take my
bathe because I wanted to leave the house before he came back. But he suddenly
came back, and started beating me for no reason. He beat me so much that I
thought he was going to kill me. It was due to the intervention of our landlord
that he left me. After that beating, I moved in with my younger sister.”

For reasons best known to Kehinde, he started sending friends to Janet’s shop,
to beg on his behalf. He wantea her to forgive him and come back. T3ut she
refused.

On that fateful day, Kehinde came to the shop with another friend to beg once
more, but Janet told him that she was through with the relationship. Fuming,
Kehinde jumped up from his seat, told Tier that he had nothing against her
leaving but that he was
foing to how her.’ And efore one could say Jack Robison, Janet was a ball of
running   and  finally rolling fire!

The following day, Kehinde was arrested by policemen as he was strolling along
the streets of Ikotun.

Janet claimed that she was not the only one receiving the hard fist of Kehinde,
that Kehinde’s wife is also a victim.

Her words: “Whenever I tell him to go and see his wife and children, he
would say I was sending him away because I wanted to go and meet another man.
Government should make sure Kehinde pays for what he did to me. I am an orphan.
I have no father or mother. I sell indomie to make money and live. Now, I’ve
spent all my money. In fact, I need help!”

Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide who confirmed the incident, explained that,
“the two of them had been living as husband and wife and had a misunderstanding.
The man used substance on her, which we’re not sure of what it is. It is a
mixture of some certain things. But the man would be charged to the Ejigbo
magistrates court.”

“Kehinde was supposed to be charged to court on last week Monday, but
nobody, especially Janet, knew why police did not take him to court.

Rather, Kehinde’s family members and friends besieged the Peaceful Convalescent
Centre, begging or threatening Janet against allowng the matter to go to court.
Janet became frightened.

Crying, she said: “Please let the police and those women NGO fight for me.
I want the matter to be charged to court. I want justice. I want justice.”

On Wednesday, police spokeswoman, Braide, told the Nigerian Compass that
Kehinde still had not been charged to court but did not state why. She however
added that he might be taken to court before the week runs out, meanwhile,
Kehinde’s people continued to trouble Janet.

Meanwhile, angry reactions have continued to trail the bathing of Janet with
petrol by her supposed husband. Among the angry ones were traders and Janet’s
friends in the area. There were also civil society groups.

The Network on Police Reforms (NOPRTN), was not only angered by the incident,
the body has made efforts to make that the Lagos State Police Command protect
Janet from Kehinde’s people who had been going to the hospital to put
intimidate her. NOPRTN had also tried to draw the attention of Project
Alert-Violence Against Women to Janet’s predicament.

Commenting on the development, spokesman for NOPRIN,  Mr. Okechukwu
Nwanguma said: “NOPRTN condemns the vicious and unjustifiable attack on
Mrs. Janet Udegba (35), an Indomie Seller at Ejigbo on Tuesday, by her husband,
Kehinde Adesamuye who bathed her with fuel and ignited fire which inflicted
severe burns on her. It is unimaginable that a man could attempt to murder his
wife by spraying fuel on her and causing her such severe bodily injury. This is
an act of cruelty which must not be tolerated in any civilised society!

“Women must be protected from violence in the hands of barbaric spouses.
Violence against women remains widespread in Nigeria, protected by cultural and
religious notions and beliefs that perceive and treat women as inferior
objects. This prejudice is encouraged and sustained by the failure of the
criminal justice system to effectively punish perpetrators and guarantee equal
rights and protection for women.

“Consequently, several women have suffered serious injury, deformity or
even death in the hands of their abusive spouses or partners. Many women
continue to die in silence. often living under perpetual servitude, fear and
threat in the name of marriage. Such women are subjects to emotional and
psychological torment and trauma.

“This is unacceptable! Law enforcement agents must appropriately punish
offenders and deter such barbaric instincts and disposition among some men.
This case must not be treated as mere assault. It is a case of attempted
murder. The perpetrator must be charged and tried under the Domestic Violence
Law of Lagos State 2007. He must be handed the maximum possible punishment
under the law to deter others.”