Hunter arrested for shooting rival having sex with girlfriend

By Olamilekan Adigun

A man, Ajegba Joseph, has been arrested for attempting to kill a rival whom he met at his girlfriend’s house at Ikun-Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The suspect, a hunter, allegedly shot the victim, who is also a hunter, in the leg while the latter was having sex with his girlfriend in the woman’s bedroom.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Abayomi Oladipupo, while parading the suspect and other suspects at the state headquarters of the command, in Akure on Wednesday, said Joseph allegedly committed the offence and was arrested last month.

He said, “A case of attempted murder was reported to the police. The victim went to his friend (a woman) who is a divorcee, in her house. One Ajegba Joseph, ‘m’, a hunter, aged 38 years, who is also having an affair with the woman, went to visit her on the same day in possession of an unlicensed single-barrel gun.

“However, upon sighting the victim with the woman in bed, the suspect shot the victim through the window side. The suspect was arrested and the barrel gun recovered with an expended cartridge, while the victim rescued by the police is currently recuperating at the hospital.”

Speaking on why he committed the offence, the suspect said he was disappointed and angered to see his colleague having sex with his girlfriend.

He said, “I went out hunting after I had taken some bottles of beer, but I ran out of cartridges. I wanted to return to the house of my girlfriend to sleep there. When I got there, I saw the door locked. I now went to the window and I opened it and saw a co-hunter sleeping with my girlfriend. That was why I shot the gun in my hand.”

The police boss also paraded a 17-year-old Philip Emmanuel, who was allegedly involved in the killing of a businesswoman, Mrs Deborah Adene, at her residence, in Akure in July. According to the CP, the suspect is one of the employees of the deceased.

Oladipupo stated, “On the afternoon of July 28, 2024, officers at the Oda Division Police Headquarters received an unsettling report. A foul odour had been noticed coming from the apartment of Mrs Adene Iyabode Deborah, a well-known caterer who had not been seen in days. Officers rushed to the scene, where they discovered a grim sight —the mutilated body of Mrs Deborah on her bed. Nearby, a blood-stained machete and a mobile phone hinted at the violence that had taken place.

“This tragic incident was quickly escalated to the State Criminal Investigation Department. Through painstaking investigative work and technical intelligence, our officers arrested 17-year-old Philip Emmanuel, a trusted employee of the deceased. In a shocking confession, Emmanuel revealed that he had conspired with Mrs Deborah’s driver to kill her. The driver, eager to start a “Yahoo” business, suggested they steal her ATM card, having overheard that a large sum of money would be deposited into her account.

“On July 25, 2024, Emmanuel and the driver carried out their horrific plan. After lurking around till the unsuspecting woman fell asleep, they brutally attacked her, stole her ATM card, and withdrew a total of N60,000. The driver remains at large, and efforts to apprehend him are ongoing.”

The CP said all the suspects would be charged in court as soon as the investigation was completed.