Residents and sympathisers shed tears at Agbo Malu area of Apapa, Lagos, after a 20 year-old woman and her two-year-old son were burnt to death over alleged love affair.

A Togolese, Falilat Yinusa and her son, Mubarak Bello were locked in a makeshift wooden apartment belonging to her lover, identified simply as Gambo.

The apartment was set ablaze at about 3 a.m. and the victims burnt beyond recognition. Their charred remains had been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

Hours before they were allegedly set ablaze, Gambo’s relation, Lawal Danladi fought him because he (Gambo) was having amorous relationship with Falilat.

Daily Sun gathered that Danladi did not approve of the relationship and had vowed to stop it at all cost.

Falilat who had lived with her sister, Adiza, for about two years at Agbo Malu had moved into the residence of her heartthrob, Gambo, with her son, Mubarak.

Adiza said Falilat did not marry Bello, the man she had the baby for Adiza told Daily Sun that her sister was still working for her as cooked rice seller until the incident.

Adiza also alleged that Gambo locked the victims inside the wooden home and left with the key.

The sister of the deceased wondered why Gambo only returned hours after his home had been burnt to ashes and escaped into hiding afterwards.

She believed both Danladi and Gambo had hand in the incident because they quarreled over Falilat hours before the fire begun.
"Danladi fought Gambo because of my sister. He quarrelled with him several times before and up till a few hours before the incident. Danladi had wanted Gambo to throw out Falilat from his (Gambo's) house. But Gambo refused.

Gambo, Falilat and the baby were living together," Adiza alleged.
The Chairman of Agbo Malu Residents Association, Audu
Adamu told Daily Sun that Gambo came to complain to him about his fight with Danladi.

Adamu said Gambo claimed Danladi was disturbing his relationship with Falilat and wanted him (Danladi) to leave them alone.

Adamu claimed he advised them not to fight because they are brothers. He also advised that a woman should not cause trouble between them
“I told them to go back to their different homes in peace and live like brothers. I appealed to them not to fight over the matter again,” Adamu said.

The chairman also disclosed that Falilat went to report the constant threat from Danladi to a soldier at Arakan barracks.
He said the soldier also invited them and urged them to maintain peace.

Police detectives from Apapa Division have arrested Danladi who was preparing to flee the area.

The crime fighters also nabbed Gambo's rival, Yakubu Awilo, 18, who also fought with him for dating Falilat.
Danladi said Gambo and Awilo also fought because of Falilat.

He said Gambo accused Awilo of dating his girlfriend, Falilat.
"I called Gambo and Yakubu to leave the woman. I told Gambo that I didn't want to see him with Falilat again, but he refused. I also told Yakubu I didn't want to see same woman in his room,

Gambo later brought the woman and her baby to live with him in his house. Gambo was the person that locked the woman and her baby inside his room.

Gambo's room was on fire. He came back to see that the fire killed both his lover and her baby and he ran away,” Danladi alleged.

Awilo disclosed that Falilat was his girlfriend also. But she was dating Gambo before him.

When Gambo travelled to his hometown, he (Awilo) took over the woman and accommodated her and her son for about one month before Gambo returned.

"During that time, she was sleeping in my room with her baby. Me, I love her, I love her very well. But when Gambo returned, he fought me.

He forced me to leave the woman for him. I, Danladi and Gambo were around when the fire incident occurred. Many people were befriending the woman in my area.” Awilo alleged.

The police are battling to unravel the circumstances of the fire that killed the mother and son.

By Mathew Dike
Daily Sun, Thursday, 19th November, 2009
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