16 months on, man who macheted wife still at large

By Fatima Muraina
…Wife seeks justice, help for surgery
The inability of security operatives to apprehend one Mr Kehinde Olanipekun, who allegedly macheted his wife for attempting to stop him from raping his stepdaughter 16 months ago, still remains a mystery.
Despite the gravity of the crime, the suspect has been reported to still move freely within the Owo community.
Since the attack in October 2023, Damilola Julius has been in constant pain, unable to afford the cost of a second surgery.
She now begs to feed her three children, as the injuries have forced her to abandon her fashion business. To worsen matters, her husband, who inflicted the injuries, is still on the run.
Security operatives claim they are not empowered to make any arrests, leaving Damilola feeling abandoned and victimised despite her cries for justice and help in obtaining medical treatment.
Life has never been the same for her. She was forced to leave Owo, relocating to where she believed would be a safer environment for herself and her children.
However, she now lives in constant fear and uncertainty. Worse still, the injuries inflicted by her husband have left her unable to use her hands to earn a living.
During her hospitalisation, she underwent surgery to save her life; but she still owes the hospital N800,000 out of the N2.5 million total bill.
She is expected to undergo another surgery on her left hand, but the hospital has refused to attend to her until the outstanding payment is settled.
Speaking with Weekend Hope, Damilola expressed disappointment over the inaction of law enforcement.
She lamented: “His family promised to sell his piece of land to offset the debt I incurred at the hospital, but they never did and left me to my fate.
“I don’t even have money to settle my debt, let alone pay for the second surgery, which will only be scheduled after the debt is cleared.”
She explained that the first surgery was done out of compassion, without an initial deposit, to save her life. However, she fears her hand will never return to normal unless the second surgery is performed.
While appealing to the authorities to ensure justice by arresting her husband, she also pleaded with the government, philanthropists, and well-meaning Nigerians to assist her financially.
Contributions can be made to her First Bank account: 3114842311 (Julius Damilola Christianah) to enable her to undergo the second surgery, which is her only chance of regaining the use of her hand.
It will be recalled that on October 2, 2023, Damilola Julius was brutally attacked with a machete by her husband, Mr Kehinde Olanipekun, after she allegedly confronted him while he attempted to sexually assault his stepdaughter.
Since he committed the offence, Olanipekun has remained on the run.