Experts warn as deaths in lovers’ homes raise concern

The deaths of young people in the homes of their romantic partners have raised concerns among security experts, lawyers and other stakeholders, who have called for caution in relationships, prompt reporting of suspicious incidents and thorough investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding such deaths.

In recent months, reports of people found dead or falling ill after visiting their boyfriends or girlfriends have drawn attention to the risks associated with intimate relationships and the difficulties of investigating deaths that occur behind closed doors.

Although the circumstances differ, the incidents have raised questions about personal safety, relationship violence, possible medical emergencies and the need for forensic investigations to establish whether deaths resulted from natural causes, accidents or criminal conduct.

In January 2026, 27-year-old Esther Akwaji died after visiting her boyfriend in the Dei-Dei area of Abuja.

According to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Esther’s brother, Peter, reported that she had left home on January 21, saying she was going to a bank in Dei-Dei.

Later that night, he reportedly received a telephone call from a man who identified himself as her boyfriend.

The man reportedly told him Esther had visited his residence, where he bought her food. After eating, she allegedly began vomiting and was rushed to Kubwa General Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

The police said her body was deposited at the mortuary for an autopsy to establish the cause of death, while efforts were being made to locate the boyfriend, who was reportedly on the run.

Esther’s death was not an isolated incident in the reports reviewed. In March 2026, the Oyo State Police Command commenced an investigation into the death of 26-year-old Precious Mogaji, whose lifeless body was discovered at the entrance of her boyfriend’s room in the Oguntula area of Ojoo, Ibadan.

The police identified the boyfriend as 29-year-old Quadri Mohammed and said preliminary information indicated that a Good Samaritan alerted the authorities after discovering the body.

In August 2025, another woman, identified as Bidemi Omole, died shortly after visiting her boyfriend, known as Yinka, in Esa-Oke, Osun State.

According to the police, she became ill after arriving at his residence and died while being taken to hospital.

The boyfriend was arrested, while the police said an autopsy would be conducted to establish the cause of death.

Earlier, in March 2025, a Lagos State University graduate identified as Adija was found dead in her boyfriend’s apartment in the Meiran area of Lagos.

According to the report, the woman had visited the man following his request. Her family reportedly became worried when she stopped answering calls and went to the apartment, where they found her body after forcing the locked door open.

Police said they were working to apprehend the boyfriend.

The cases also include incidents in which both partners died. In June 2024, a man identified as Eric and his girlfriend were found dead inside his apartment in the Ayeyemi area of Ondo town.

Relatives reportedly discovered their bodies after failing to reach the man by telephone.

Residents speculated that the couple might have been electrocuted, pointing to a generator operating on the premises and a phone charging near the bed.

However, the Ondo State Police Command said the cause of death was unknown and that an investigation had commenced.

Research findings

A study published in the BMJ Public Health journal in 2024 by Vitalis Ukoji of the Federal University Lokoja and Vitus Ukoji of the University of Ibadan recorded 205 deaths from 180 intimate partner violence incidents in Nigeria between 2019 and 2021.

The study, which analysed data from the Nigeria Watch database, found that fatalities increased from 62 in 2019 to 69 in 2020 and 74 in 2021.

Women accounted for 74 per cent of the victims, comprising 51 per cent female spouses and 23 per cent female lovers, while male spouses accounted for 18 per cent and male lovers seven per cent. Lagos recorded the highest number of fatalities among the states examined.

The researchers also found that arguments between intimate partners were associated with 50 deaths, while alleged infidelity accounted for 37. Dangerous weapons were associated with 46 deaths and battering with 27.

They concluded that intimate partner violence-related deaths increased steadily during the three years, including before and after the COVID-19 lockdown.

The findings suggest that fatal violence in intimate relationships is not restricted to married couples, as unmarried partners also featured among the victims.

A need for investigations

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The different circumstances surrounding the reported deaths underline the difficulty of determining what happens in private residences where there are often no independent witnesses.

A person who suddenly falls ill at a partner’s home may have suffered a medical emergency, poisoning or another condition.

A person found dead after a violent argument may have been a victim of assault, while a couple found dead in the same apartment may have died from an environmental or electrical hazard.

The location of a death, by itself, does not establish its cause or identify who, if anyone, was responsible.

This makes forensic investigations important. Autopsies, toxicological examinations, crime-scene assessments, medical records, telephone communications and statements from neighbours can help investigators reconstruct the events preceding a death.

Where poisoning is suspected, toxicology tests may help identify substances that contributed to the death.

Where electrocution or generator-related exposure is suspected, examination of electrical installations and the premises may be necessary.

The quality and speed of these investigations also matter to grieving families. An unexplained death can leave relatives with suspicion, conflicting accounts and unanswered questions.

Where a partner disappears after reporting a death, investigators must establish the circumstances rather than allow public speculation to determine guilt.

There is also a need to pay closer attention to warning signs within relationships. Repeated physical confrontations, threats, stalking, coercion and attempts to isolate a partner should not be dismissed as ordinary relationship disagreements.

Families and friends who become aware of such behaviour should take it seriously and encourage those affected to seek appropriate protection and assistance.

At the same time, public discussion must avoid turning every death in a boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s home into an allegation of murder.

Some deaths may be natural or accidental, while others may involve criminal conduct. Only credible investigations and medical evidence can establish the difference.

Experts urge caution

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a former Director of Legal Services at Nigerian Army security expert, Col Yomi Dare, advised young people to exercise caution when choosing romantic partners.

He noted that deaths occurring in lovers’ homes could have different explanations, including criminal activities and pre-existing health conditions.

Dare, who is also the founder of International Masters Security Systems Limited said, “It is advisable that youths must be very careful in the type of relationship they are engaged in. There is an instance of yahoo-yahoo where young people are involved in rituals. You cannot rule out the possibility of death through a prevailing health condition.

“If such things happen, it should be immediately reported to the police and the homicide department, where they will order an autopsy to be performed on the deceased, and if there is foul play, it will be known. And if it happens, you cannot say that the person in whose home it took place is probably a murderer.”

Also speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a human rights lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, said the presence of a person at the location where another person dies does not automatically establish criminal responsibility, stressing the need for medical evidence to determine the cause of death.

He said, “Death is a natural occurrence and where it is discovered that it is a natural occurrence, no matter where the person died. The person who is there is the first suspect, and that is what has happened to that boy.

“The police, in the course of investigation, will have to conduct an autopsy. Without that, you cannot establish death or murder. The moment it is conducted, they discover that the death is natural even though the matter is charged to court.

“What the police should do is that if they discover that the autopsy did not point to any wrongdoing on the part of the boy, I will advise the police not to waste public money to prosecute.”

The Police Public Relations Officer for the Oyo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, advised people who invite others into their homes to be conscious of their medical conditions, while urging anyone involved in an incident resulting in death to report it to the police immediately.

Ayanlade said, “Anybody who is carrying someone home should have an idea of the person’s medical condition. And that will help you to know quickly what you should do at any point. Secondly, if anything happens, the proper thing to do is to report to the nearest police station.

“An attempt to cover it up will increase the charges. If the person was supposed to be charged with manslaughter, he will be charged with murder. If he attempts to cover it up, such individuals will be charged for murder instead. An attempt to cover up such a thing will show that it was premeditated.”