Widow beat until teeth fall out, Man in Custody

A middle age man, Monday Ekpo, is in police custody for allegedly assaulting his neighbour and removing her front teeth.

The suspect was arrested at the weekend following complaint by one Ebere Ogbonna that Ekpo beat her following her refusal to date him

Ogbonna, a widow and a mother of nine, told police officers that Ekpo had threatened to kill her following her refusal to date him. "I lost my husband some years back and I have been struggling to fend for my nine boys," she said.

"I had twins three times, and since their father died I have catered for them. Sometime last year, Monday asked me to date him but I refused. For more than three occasions, he attempted to rape me in my one room apartment. We are neighbours. He was bent on sleeping with me but I told him I was not interested; this angered him and he told me he will make my life a living hell."

The victim said her initial efforts to involve officers of the Iponri Police Station proved abortive as Ekpo is said to be a leader of a youth gang in the area.

"On April 5th, I attended a friend’s child naming ceremony, Monday was there and he attacked me saying that he was the chairman and I should leave," she said. "He pushed and shoved me out of the room, and as I resisted him, he slapped me on the face. I went to report him to the elders in the community and as they called him to warn him from assaulting me, Monday descended on me and beat me to a stupor. Sympathisers took me to the hospital where I later woke up and found out that Monday had removed my three teeth."

Agbodimu Musbau, the Community Development Association Chairman of the area, said residents of the community were appalled by the incident.

"Ebere is a widow and also a member of the vigilante group in the area," he said. "When the matter was reported, we took it up and arrested Monday and handed him over to the police at the Iponri Police Station, but we were shocked when Monday was released the same day as his gang went to the police station to threaten the officers to release him or face their wrath.

It was even sad when Monday started bragging that no police man in the area can arrest him, so that was why we brought the matter to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police so that we can get justice and we are happy that the commissioner, Umar Manko, acted prompted and Monday and the IPO have been detained over the assault of a helpless widow."