27-Year-Old Woman Jailed For Stabbing Her Fiance To Death Over Engagement Ring In Lagos

A 27-year-old woman identified as Blessing Edet was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stabbing her 33-year-old fiancé, Edet Ebong, to death during a fight over her refusal to wear an engagement ring he had given to her at their residence in Lagos State.

Edet, who was initially charged for murder, was convicted on a commuted sentence of voluntary manslaughter by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos.

Edet testified solely in her defence on February 7, 2019. According to her, the deceased came to her apartment at midnight and woke her up to request that she cook a meal for him, but she had refused because she was tired.

“Upon hearing that I was tired, he went into the kitchen and saw the engagement ring he had given me beside the stove. He became angry and asked why I was not wearing the ring.

“He broke a mirror and used part of it to stab me, I was bleeding and I was crying out to the neighbors for help,” she said.

Edet further stated that it was during their scuffle that she stabbed Ebong in his abdomen with a kitchen knife.

While delivering her judgement on Wednesday, Justice Taiwo said: “By stabbing the deceased in the lower part of his abdomen, she did not intend to cause grievous harm to the defendant. The defendant has established factors necessary to prove self-defence.

“I find that the defendant acted in self-defence as she was a victim of unprovoked assault. The defendant is not guilty of murder but I find her guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Edet Ebong.

“Section 227 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State prescribes life imprisonment for the offence of involuntary manslaughter. This is a clear case of recklessness on the part of both the deceased and the defendant.

“I hereby sentence the defendant to 10 years imprisonment with no option of fine. The sentence will take effect from the month of August 2015 which is when she has been in custody,” the judge ruled.

Meanwhile, KanyiDaily had also reported that a 23- year-old lady, Omolara Oluwagbemi was arrested for stabbing her fiance, Sodiq Dauda, to death during an ugly fight.

The two lovers, whose wedding had been fixed to hold in December, were said to have had a disagreement when the deceased accused the suspect of not rendering a proper account of the gas business he entrusted to her.