It is a mixture of pain, anger and regret for Tolani Oladipupo, whose daughter, Solape, was killed by her purported lover at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Makurdi, Benue State.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday Punch, the 60-year-old deacon from Ogun State said he could have performed some traditional rites that would prevent bullets from killing his daughter.
He also called for the execution of the killer.
According to military authorities, a fellow airman identified as Kalu BA fatally shot Solape last Sunday after accusing her of cheating on him.
Kalu, who is presently military detention, also accused the lady fondly called Shomzy Shomzy of lying to his mother.
While investigation continues into the tragic incident, the family of the deceased are still coming to terms with the loss of their loved one.
“All of us in the family are really sad,” Mr Oladipupo said at the family house in Badagry.
“My wife is in a really terrible state; she fainted when I told her on Sunday and she could not breathe for 30 minutes.
“She almost died. Later, she gained consciousness. She has lost over 40 per cent of her weight since then. It is most difficult for her. She hardly eats and takes more of liquid, tea or water once a day.
“When I heard about my daughter’s death, I wanted to kill myself by running into a moving trailer.
“It was my children and friends around that held me back from committing suicide. They let me realise that hope was not lost.”
Describing his daughter as intelligent, gentle, easygoing and disciplined, the bereaved said he had encouraged her to cut off any relationship that would not give her peace.
He said she had told him that Kalu was a violent person.
“I don’t know how long they had been dating, but I just know that she had separated herself from him, and I supported her decision.
“I had never spoken with the boy before. After we spoke about it in December, we never talked about it again. I think she had cut off the relationship with him by then,” he added.
Expressing his regret, the former bank worker said “I felt I had not done enough to protect her.”
He said he was confident the air force barracks was well secured.
“Traditionally, there are some medicines that would prevent bullets from penetrating one’s body.
“I’m an Ijebu man and a Christian, an archdeacon. But I regret that I didn’t do that traditional security for her.”
With the loss of the daughter he called “my two eyes”, said his heart seeks for judgment. “The guy killed her intentionally because he wrote a suicide note.
“I want justice done; an eye for an eye.
“I think the Nigerian Air Force wants to court-martial him; they should not just court-martial him, they should terminate his life, the same way he killed my daughter.”
