Landlord's Son Fatally Stabs Nursing Mother in Ondo Rent Dispute
A horrific incident of violence has shaken the Ore community in Ondo State, where a landlord's son allegedly stabbed a nursing mother to death during a dispute over unpaid house rent. The brutal attack, which also left the victim's husband and daughter injured, occurred in the early hours of Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the Ore Alaba area.
Details of the Tragic Event
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Quozeem Awe, is accused of fatally stabbing Deborah Adeleye, a nursing mother, and injuring her husband, Mathew Adeleye, as well as their daughter. According to eyewitness accounts reported by Hope Newspaper, the violence erupted from an argument over unpaid house rent between Quozeem and Mathew, who is a tenant in the building owned by the suspect's father.
The dispute had reportedly been simmering for weeks before escalating dramatically. Quozeem allegedly stormed the tenants' apartment armed with a knife and a cutlass around 5:00 a.m. Mathew Adeleye, speaking from his hospital bed, revealed that he and other tenants had been issued a quit notice despite their rent not being due until March 16. He had already begun making arrangements to secure a new apartment in compliance with the notice.
Eyewitness Account and Aftermath
Adeleye recounted that there had been no prior physical confrontation with the landlord's son. On the fateful morning, Quozeem knocked on their door. Sensing danger, Adeleye warned the only other remaining tenant not to open the entrance door, alleging Quozeem was capable of violence. However, while Adeleye briefly stepped out to use the toilet, the other tenant allegedly opened the door, allowing Quozeem access.
"Moments later, he reportedly rushed into the room where my wife, Deborah, a nursing mother, was lying on the bed. Immediately he entered, he jumped on my wife. She screamed that she had been stabbed. She died on the spot," Adeleye said. The brutal killing sent shockwaves through the household, with her four children, including a nine-month-old baby, crying uncontrollably.
Upon hearing the commotion, Adeleye rushed out of the toilet and confronted Quozeem at the entrance. In the ensuing struggle, he attempted to wrestle the knife away but slipped to the ground. Quozeem overpowered him and stabbed him multiple times in the back, hand, and leg. The violence extended to the couple's first child, Tunrayo Adeleye, who sustained a stab wound to the wrist while trying to escape.
Community Response and Police Action
Tunrayo managed to run outside to raise an alarm, joined by one of Deborah's customers who had arrived early to supply bread for her tea business. Residents who responded to the distress call rushed the victims to a nearby hospital. The other tenant accused of opening the door reportedly fled the scene and has since absconded.
Quozeem was said to have voluntarily surrendered himself at a nearby police station following the incident. A police source confirmed that the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at a morgue in Ore, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing. The community remains in shock over this tragic event, highlighting the severe consequences of landlord-tenant disputes escalating into violence.
