By Daniel Edu
The circumstances surrounding the tragic incident involving Toluige Olokobi Babalola, the woman from the widely circulated ‘Mummy Calm Down’ video, take a puzzling turn as conflicting narratives arise between the husband’s statement to the police and the accounts provided by neighbors.
Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, disclosed on Friday at the command headquarters in Benin City that the husband’s version of events contradicted those offered by the neighbors, prompting Commissioner of Police Muhammed Dankwara to order a thorough investigation into the matter.
According to Nwabuzor, the husband reported to the Evbuotubu Division in Benin City on November 8, claiming that upon returning from the market, he discovered his two-year-old child, Ife Lawal, crying. Upon entering the house, he allegedly found his wife with a rope around her neck tied to the ceiling. The husband asserted that he loosened the rope and sought help from neighbors.
However, the neighbors contested this narrative, denying any knowledge of a rope and asserting that they found the husband on top of his wife when they responded to his call for assistance.
Nwabuzor stated, “There are issues alleged, and there are so many sides of the coin. The husband said the neighbors came when he cried for help. And that they helped him loosen the rope from his wife’s neck. However, the neighbors are saying no, ‘we do not know anything about loosening the rope’…So many issues, and that is why the Commissioner of Police, in his wisdom, ordered for an investigation.”
The police spokesperson further revealed that the Evbuotubu Police Station, after initial investigations, did not find any marks of violence on the deceased. Nevertheless, Commissioner Dankwara directed the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a more comprehensive inquiry.
The conflicting accounts and the absence of apparent signs of violence have intensified the mystery surrounding the incident, warranting a thorough examination to determine the true circumstances leading to the tragic death of Toluige Olokobi Babalola.
