My Husband Committed Suicide, Says Arrested Widow Of Award-Winning Pharmacist

Mrs Busayo Olafare, the widow of Paul Olafare, who allegedly committed suicide, weekend, in his Oworonsoki home in Lagos, has denied culpability in his husband’s death, saying he took poison.

News of the death of the father of two filtered in Sunday. But there were different accounts on the circumstance that led to his demise.

A version of the account had it that he poisoned himself, following an unpaid loan he took to set up his own pharmacy.

It was also reported that late Olafare, who was awarded Lagos State Pharmacist of the Year 2013, had on several occasions attempted to take his life before Sunday. One of the foiled attempts, as gathered, was his intention to jump into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge.

Also, a close friend of late Olafare (names withheld) reportedly disclosed that the deceased had, last Thursday, sent a text message to his wife advising her to remarry and take care of their two children should any harm befall him.

Dissatisfied with claims that their son committed suicide, the bereaved parents were said to have lodged a complaint to the Police at Oworoshoki, following which Mrs Olafare was arrested.

However, in her statement to the Police, she maintained that her husband committed suicide.

Police sources hinted that she claimed to have come out of the bathroom that fateful day, when she met her husband with a liquid substance in a plastic bottle, suspected to be pesticide.

She stated that she wanted to take the bottle from him, and in the process he informed her that there was no need to struggle with him as he had already drank the substance.

She further claimed to have rushed to the kitchen and brought palm oil, which she forced into her husband’s mouth. But by then it was too late as he reportedly began to writhe in pain before he breathed his last.

Police sources hinted that the remaining content inside the plastic had been taken for forensic examination to determine what it was. Also, an autopsy report, as gathered, would be carried out on the deceased to ascertain the exact cause of his death.

The Police source said: “It is the outcome of the result that will determine our next line of investigation. We cannot say for now if the woman killed her husband as alleged.”

Late Olafare, who was in his 30s, was a graduate of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

He was also a leader of the Celestial Church of Christ, Somolu Youth group, and also founded a gospel tract ministry known as The Harvesters.