The Ondo State Police Command on Friday said it had commenced the search for a man, Kehinde Olanipekun, who allegedly macheted his wife, Damilola.
Olanipekun, now at large, reportedly attacked his wife at their residence at Idasen Community in Owo Local Government Area of the state a few days ago.
It was gathered that Damilola accused her husband of sexually harassing her 14-year-old daughter, whom she had for another before marrying Olanipekun.
Damilola was said to have confronted her husband about the allegation after her daughter reported the matter to her. The following day, Olanipekun allegedly attacked him with a machete and ran away thereafter.
It was gathered that the action of the suspect was not unconnected with the allegation levelled against him by his wife.
The victim was said to have been rushed by her neighbours to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, but later referred to another hospital due to the injuries inflicted on her by the fleeing husband.
Speaking on the incident, the victim said, “My daughter (Olanipekun’s stepdaughter) told me how my husband had been sexually harassing her whenever I was not at home. So I was disturbed when I got back home. So the following day I had to ask him, he didn’t deny it, but he apologised to me.
“On that fateful day, he said he was going to work and left. But not up to one hour, he came and locked the door from behind and brought out a machete inside the room; when I asked him why, he said he wanted to go and work at the site. Without any prior argument, the next thing is that he started hitting me with the machete.
“He punched my head and my face, grabbed his machete again, and started hitting every other part of my body. I fell, I couldn’t defend myself. When the neighbours heard my loud cry, they knocked at the door to rescue me, but the door was locked from behind.
“After a while, that he had run away, I opened the door, and the neighbors eventually rescued me. I was rushed to the hospital.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident and said the suspect was still on the run and had not been arrested.
“We have begun the search for the suspect, and investigation had commenced into the matter,” the PPRO stated.
