How housekeeper slit employer’s 79-yr-old mother’s throat

By Abduwahab Abdulah & Jane Echewodo

LAGOS—Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of an Ikeja high court was, yesterday, informed by a police Inspector, Godgift Moses, how a housekeeper, Christian Yavine, slit the throat of 79-year-old Mrs Mariam Abiola, his employer’s mother.

Yavine, a Beninoise, who was 18 years old when the incident occurred, denied the murder charge brought against him by the state.

The inspector’s evidence was interpreted in French for Yavine’s understanding.

Led in evidence by Mr. Akin George, the state prosecutor, the investigating police officer Moses, said: “On July 3, 2014, I and ASP Adetunji Fisayo, paid a visit to the crime scene.

“The room where the deceased was murdered was found in disarray, with bloodstains on the mattress and the pillow.

“Our investigation team proceeded to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, to inspect the body.

“On close observation, there was a deep cut across the throat of the deceased and she had several minor cuts on her neck, which are signs of a struggle.”

On how he was put in charge of the murder case, he said: “I am a Police Inspector attached to the Homicide Division of the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

“I met the defendant on July 2, 2014 at 4p.m., while I was on duty at the State CIID. I received the original case file and exhibits were handed over to me.

“The defendant spoke Yoruba language, but I did not understand, so I asked a colleague, Sergeant Adeola Lawal, to interpret the language in English for me.

“Lawal interpreted his statement and it was read to the defendant and he confirmed that that was what he told Lawal.

“On July 7, 2014, we served the pathologist, Professor John Obafunwa, with the coroners form and an autopsy was conducted by Obafunwa’s office to find out the primary cause of death.”

The act

The prosecutor showed Moses two long kitchen knives, a black rope and a long pestle allegedly used in the crime, which were identified by him and marked as exhibits by Justice Ipaye.

The prosecutor, Mr. George, said: “The defendant killed a septuagenarian, Mrs Mariam Abiola, the mother of his employer, by stabbing her repeatedly in the throat with a kitchen knife.

“The defendant committed the murder after his employer, Mrs Joke Akinsemoyin, left the deceased and the teenage housekeeper in her home to go for a vigil scheduled for 10.30p.m. in her church.

“When Akinsemoyin returned in the early hours of the morning, she inquired about her mother from Yavine and he told her that she was sleeping in the bedroom.

“When she wanted to go into the bedroom to check her, she was refused entry by Yavine and she immediately became suspicious.

“After a physical struggle with the defendant, she gained entry into the bedroom, where she saw the body of her mother lying in a pool of her blood on the bed.”

Three witnesses, including Moses, have so far testified for the prosecution in the trial. Justice Ipaye adjourned the matter till May 4 (today) for continuation of trial.

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