Woman commits suicide four months after bearing twins

Muji, the twins and the well

A nursing mother has committed suicide, four months after giving birth to a set of twins, on Oremerin Street, Ladilak, Somolu, Lagos State.

The woman, Mrs. Muji Kazeem, a hairdresser, was found dead in a well on Tuesday morning. The well was located two houses to the apartment that Muji and her husband, Adewale, were staying.

Our correspondent, who visited the Kazeems, learnt that the twins came after five years of marriage.

Kazeem, 28, said his wife was found dead in the well two days after she was declared missing.

He said, “We were together on Sunday night having prayers around 9.30pm. Then, the babies started crying, so I told her to go and breast-feed them.

“By the time I finished praying, she had slept off with the twins on the bed. I spread a mat on the floor by the entrance and slept off.

“Muji woke up around 11.30pm and went outside. One of my friends told me that he saw her at that time taking cool air before he went inside to sleep.”

Kazeem said he was awaken by the wailing of the twins around 1am. He said he searched for their mother without success.

When the day broke, Kazeem raised the alarm that his wife was missing. The neighbourhood was said to have been thrown into confusion as a search party was organised to look for her without success. The matter was later reported at the Pedro Police Station.

Kazeem said, “We saw her clothes near the well on Monday night and became hopeful. We intensified prayers for her. But it was 7am  the following day that a woman, who wanted to draw water from the well, observed that the drawer did not get water. She got a torchlight, pointed it down the well and saw the swollen corpse of my wife.”

He said Muji had been buried at the Atan Cemetry at Yaba in line with Islamic rites.

“We buried her at the Atan Cemetery after obtaining police report. My mother has taken the babies for care,” he said.

Kazeem described his late wife as a gentle and cheerful woman, who never fought or quarrelled with anyone since he met her.

He said, “We have never had any reason to fight or disagree. I don’t know if she offended anyone who decided not to forgive her. But for me, I have taken this as my destiny.”

However, PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased had been depressed a few days before her death.

A source within the area, said the 25-year-old mother, could sometimes be lost in thought for several hours and would not respond to greetings until people shouted at her.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, promised to get back to our correspondent when she was contacted on the telephone.

culled from punch