TheCable

The police command in Ogun says its operatives have arrested one Tope Fasanya, an 18-year-old girl, for allegedly adding rat poison to the food consumed by Esther Bada, her guardian.

According to the police, the victim started experiencing pain after eating the food served by the suspect and was subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment.

The suspect, said to be a student in senior secondary school 1, reportedly refused to eat the remaining food when she was called upon to do so — a development that created suspicion.

Abimbola Oyeyemi, Ogun police spokesperson, in a statement on Tuesday, said the suspect has been staying with the victim since when she was in primary three, adding that Bada was her class teacher at the time.

“The suspect — Tope Fasanya — was arrested following a complaint by the victim, who reported that she was served food by her maid and immediately after eating the food, she felt a sharp stomach pain and became very uncomfortable,” Oyeyemi said.

“When the pain was becoming so severe, she called the maid to come and eat the remaining food but she refused. This made her suspect foul play on the part of the maid.

“Upon the report, the victim was quickly taken to Owode Egba general hospital, from where she was referred to Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta for proper medical treatment. The suspect was subsequently arrested.

“On interrogation, the suspect initially denied and she was transferred to the homicide section of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department.

“On getting there, she made a confessional statement that she actually added rat poison substance to the victim’s food.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect has been living with the woman since when she was in primary three, and the woman was her class teacher then.

“Following the death of her father, the victim volunteered to help the girl by taking her to live in her house and from there, going to school on her bill. It was the victim that sponsored the suspect’s education up till her present class.

“When asked why she decided to kill her benefactor, the suspect who described the victim as a very caring person said that she only wanted to return to her mother and she can only do that if her guardian is no more.”