The Osun State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Oluwatomi Oliyide, for allegedly b3ating his wife to stupour after she told him to take care of their children’s welfare.
Oluwatomi, an indigene of Abeokuta, Ogun State, who lives in the Capital Area of Osogbo, Osun State, was said to have fled his home, leaving his wife, Odunayo Oliyide, severely injured after beating her till blood started gushing from her eyes.
According to the Guardian, the incident happened last Wednesday at their residence in Osogbo.
Oluwatomi, a tiller who often travels to Lagos State for work, was arrested on Tuesday night, July 15, 2025 and detained at the Dada Estate Police Station in Osogbo after days on the run.
Narrating her ordeal, Odunayo revealed that she started living with her husband in 2019, stated that there was no formal wedding ceremony and that their relationship was a mutual consent between the two of them.
She, however, added that she knows some members of his family, except Odunayo’s father.
The 32-year-old fashion designer explained how they met in Lagos before relocating to Osogbo to live with him.
The mother of two narrated how she left her work owing to a lack of support and financial challenges.
Odunayo disclosed that she has two boys for her husband, adding that the man had married two different wives who gave birth to a child each for him, but they parted ways violently.
“It was after I married him that I discovered that he had married two different women in the past, and he used to beat them,” she revealed.
On how the suspect was arrested, it was gathered that, unknown to him, his wife had reported the matter to the police before returning home from his hiding on Tuesday.
Policemen were said to have been alerted, and Oluwatomi was subsequently picked up.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Zacharia Abiodun, confirmed the suspect’s arrest, saying he would be charged in court.
The victim, an indigene of Oka-Akoko in Ondo State, said trouble started after Oluwatomi refused to provide money for feeding for his two boys, aged five and three years, adding that all her efforts to make him pay their school fees proved abortive.
“My husband prefers to gamble with all his money rather than sponsoring his children in school,” she claimed.
“He doesn’t take care of our children. He only gives us money to eat whenever he feels like it. I am a fashion designer, but since I got married to him, I have expended all my savings on feeding our children. I can’t cope again. For some time now, I have been taking on menial jobs. I do bricklaying jobs, go to people’s houses to assist them in their chores, and raise school fees for my children.
“People have intervened, but he remained adamant. He has a site he is developing, and he always says that he will not train our children until the house project is completed, but he plays bets and that makes him not have money for us. He doesn’t have money on hand as a result. I have reported to his parents. They promised to talk to him. I also reported him to our pastor. He remained adamant.
“I have an ulcer, and my heart used to hurt me whenever I carried bricks at sites. I told him that I am tired of the relationship. I said I will relocate the children to my parents. He didn’t say anything. We were not speaking to one another for months, and whenever he demanded sexual intercourse during the period that we were keeping animosity, I used to ignore him. Sometimes, I will call him for children’s feeding, he will send money once in a while and other times, he will not send.”
On how the suspect allegedly unleashed his anger, the victim explained, “Last Sunday, I went for a vigil and he came and didn’t meet me. On Monday, I returned from church. I told him not to use my gas to cook, but he said he would refill the gas. This happened because for some weeks now, he has been buying only the food that he will consume and hiding it. I also get my own and use them in feeding our children
“On Wednesday, I told him that I was going to work. When I returned, I was going to Owode for a film rehearsal. I left the children with him. He said I should not bid him farewell and said he would beat me until I lost my sight. He started beating me and injured me in my eyes with punches.”
Odunayo also recalled how her husband beat her when she was pregnant with their first child.
A human rights activist, Citizen Lola Wey, who assisted in taking the victim to the hospital for treatment, informed The Guardian that the matter has been reported at Dada Estate Police Station for necessary action.
