Kwara poison saga: Deceased’s sister seeks justice, denies suicide claim

Pelumi Balogun, a sister to Yetunde Balogun whose husband’s family claimed poisoned herself in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, has broken her silence over the issue.

Yetunde, a mother of two, was said to have poisoned herself by her husband’s family after a disagreement over the husband’s decision to marry a second wife.

• IMF raises Nigeria’s 2022 economic growth target to 3.4%
• NIGERIA DAILY: Imo On Edge As Crises Hits Orlu

However, another version of the story is that she was poisoned by her mother-in-law because she was a Christian.

While the controversies raged, the police said investigation was ongoing and an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of her death.

But while speaking on the issue, the immediate younger sister of Yetunde, Pelumi Balogun, denied the claim that Yetunde poisoned herself, and rather accused the husband’s family of hiding something.

She told City & Crime that, “This is an injustice, because my sister can never kill herself. This is really painful for my family, and we believe they are hiding something from us. But we will fight it to the end.

“When my younger sister, Deborah, got to Yetunde’s house, she met a lot of people and was told that our sister was dead. Till now, they haven’t bothered to call us to inform us of the incident.”

She further said, “We were supposed to celebrate her birthday last Monday and not mourning her. I had told her not to return to that house but she refused. She went and didn’t return alive.

“She is still at the mortuary. The autopsy result will be out on Tuesday. What everyone is saying about my sister is false, but I know God will fight for her. She is dead and can’t stand up to clear herself; when the result is out, we’ll know the truth.”

Following the development, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Rapid Response Team, has waded into the matter.

Speaking with City & Crime on Monday, the chairman of the CSO, Barrister Anthonia Erinfolami-Daniel, who confirmed that the result of the autopsy would be released on Tuesday, said the present narrative had many loopholes.

She said, “What we have been able to establish is that there was domestic violence and her death was the end-result of whether she was killed or she committed suicide. But the account of the husband’s family is not adding up.”