DIG Yekini Jimoh (Rtd)

Comfort Obi

The fatal shooting, in a hotel room in Ilorin, penultimate week, by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Yekini Jimoh, of his wife, Folashade, goes down as one of the most tragic and irresponsible acts committed by a law officer of Jimoh’s ranking. And it brings to the fore the mental stability of some of those we call top law enforcement agents.
How did Jimoh, who retired only last year from the police, become a murder suspect, a bloody killer? Nigeria is a country which thrives on rumours, exaggerations, and atimes, outright fabrication of stories. So, in the incident that led to Jimoh’s disgraceful act, there are two versions.
The first is that Jimoh, an Ogun State indigene, had been suspecting his wife of infidelity. On the day in question, this version insists, he traced his wife to a hotel in Ilorin, on a tip-off. When he got there, he forced open the hotel room door, and shot his wife severally on the stomach and neck.
We were not told whether there was a man in the room with Jimoh’s wife. And if so, what happened to the man. Nor were we told if the woman was committing adultery all by herself, and/or, if there was an argument between man and wife before the shooting. It did not also tell us whether Jimoh went to the reception of the hotel to announce himself as a visitor, and who he wanted to see. And, if so, if the hotel staff contacted their guest to alert her there was a visitor asking for her. If this version is correct, it shows the incompetence of some hotel managements. A guest in your hotel has a visitor, the right thing to do is to alert the guest, and ask if the visitor could be allowed in or not. But let’s quickly go to version number two.
This version, as was published in a couple of newspapers, says that Jimoh and his wife had checked into the hotel days earlier and had been going out and coming in. On the day of the incident, the story says, the couple had just come in, only for an argument to begin. The next thing that was heard were gun shots, followed by screams. By the time the hotel staff who, obviously, must have taken their time, because they thought it was an armed robbery attack got there, Jimoh had escaped. His wife, writhing in agony in a pool of her own blood, was rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
Since then, Jimoh had given his own version of why he killed his wife. His words: “This is a woman I have done everything for. This is a woman who collected my pension and used it to buy a car. This is a woman I built a house for.” If you find those points annoying, the next one is even more nonsensical Jimoh: “One time, she told me she was four months pregnant, and was told by her doctor not to have sex to avoid a miscarriage. But when I took her to a doctor, I was told she was not pregnant.”
Now, the above are Jimoh’s reasons why he shot his wife. All those explanations point to one thing: He had been suspecting his wife of infidelity, of not sticking to only him, her husband. It is like saying: you bought a car with my pension money, I built a house for you, but still, you cannot stick to only me. My response: This man is mad. And we must ask him questions based on his explanations. But before that, let’s get one thing clear. Folashade, by the way, is not Jimoh’s only wife. She is the fourth wife. So, Jimoh cannot claim that she is the only woman in his life. And that he has been faithful. He has other women (wives) and possibly, a string of girlfriends. But no matter.
How was it possible for Folashade to claim his pension and use it to buy a car? Did she steal it from Jimoh after he claimed it? Was the pension given in cash or cheque? And was the cheque written in Folashade’s name? If it was cash, who gave her the authority to go and claim it? Surely the police authorities would never pay out a DIG’s huge pension to anybody without his authority. And who was Jimoh’s next of kin? His son, daughter or Folashade? What happened to the children and/or other wives? Unless Folashade was his next of kin, there is no way she would claim his pension while he is still alive.
Second point: He says he built her a house. Yes, before nko? Who would have built a house for her but her husband? That is Jimoh’s penalty for marrying more than one woman. Perhaps, he does not even live together with her. Which was why he had to build her a separate house. But more ridiculous is the next reason. Jimoh had to go to a doctor with his wife to confirm that she was not pregnant, and was deliberately denying him sex. So, should we clap for him? Not likely. When a marriage gets to the point where your wife denies you your rights, and begins to resort to lies, that marriage is gone. It is time to opt out of it. Jimoh had three other wives. If this one denies him, he should go to the others. Unless, of course, he no longer is able to satisfy them because he has to go from one to the other.
Beyond all that, some men must learn how to control their emotions when they suspect their wives or girlfriends of infidelity. The other day in Uyo, a boy of 23 years strangled his 21-year-old girlfriend because he saw her talking to another boy. And he was not remorseful. He told the court: “If I leave here free, I will go and spit on her grave.” And these are the same men who keep a harem of women, and the only thing their wives and girlfriends do is pine away and suffer heart breaks. Yet, in their own case, they resort to killing, instead of divorce. Why?
But back to DIG Jimoh. The law should take its full course. It doesn’t matter whether the wife’s family (as reported when she was in the hospital), is allegedly asking for an out of court settlement. The court had granted him bail to the tune of N50,000 only. That is ridiculous. Unless a drastic punishment is given to men such as Jimoh, women will continue to suffer over unproven allegations of infidelity in the hands of men, some of whom are no better than dogs. The full weight of the law should be visited on Jimoh.