A 40-year-old lawyer, Abayomi Oladire, was assaulted with a broken bottle by his client’s husband while carrying out his legal duties in Ondo West Local Government Area, according to reports from the state-owned newspaper, The Hope.
The suspect, identified as Kunle Kuteyi, allegedly attacked Oladire for aiding his wife in preparing a divorce suit against him. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Ondo city.
Oladire was reportedly en route to his sister’s baby naming ceremony when Kuteyi confronted him, accusing him of having an inappropriate relationship with his wife and assisting her with the divorce filing.
A heated argument ensued, escalating into Kuteyi viciously stabbing Oladire with a broken bottle. Sympathizers in the area intervened and rushed the injured lawyer to the nearest hospital for treatment, while the suspect fled the scene.
An anonymous resident in the area described how the victim suffered severe injuries and significant bleeding before receiving medical attention.
“We saw the two standing together, and later the suspect hugged the victim and pushed him away. The next thing we saw was the suspect bringing out a broken bottle and started stabbing the victim,” the source said.
Speaking to the publication, the lawyer Oladire explained his side of the story.
“The wife of the suspect brought a judgment to me and said her husband was ordered to pay N2 million by the court to a complainant in a case instituted against them,” he said. “On checking the judgment, I saw that both the husband and wife were asked to pay N2 million each, and I explained this to her.
“She went to the complainant’s lawyer and paid the said amount. Then, she later asked me to prepare divorce papers because her husband had lied to her about the case. I prepared the divorce papers, but she later came back to me, saying she was no longer interested because her husband’s family had begged her to forgive him.
“I told her that I would inform the judge on the next adjournment date. On the day of the incident, I was going to my sister’s baby naming ceremony when I saw the suspect. He said he had been looking for me because I prepared divorce papers for his wife.
“He accused me of dating her and of preparing a divorce letter for her. But I explained to him that his wife had told me she was no longer interested in the divorce and that we were going to withdraw the case on the next adjournment date. The suspect hugged me and bit me on my jaw, then brought out a broken bottle and started stabbing me. All I could do was guard myself to prevent him from stabbing me in my neck or other dangerous parts of my body.
“In the course of performing my legal duty, by preparing a divorce for his wife, the suspect attempted to kill me by stabbing me viciously. He is walking freely in the town, and all the police stations in Ondo can’t arrest him,” the victim explained.
