A widow, Mrs. Adebisi Nurat Raji, and her four children are currently in hiding following the death of her husband, Barrister Raji Banjo Ore, in what she described as a violent family dispute over property and religious differences.
Mrs. Raji, an indigene of Ogun State who previously resided in Lagos, said her husband died on April 8, 2021, a day after he was allegedly pushed during a heated argument with his relatives over property matters.
According to her, the push caused him to hit his head against a wall. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead the following day and buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
Since the incident, the widow said her life and those of her children—Moyinoluwa (15), Ebunoluwa (11), Monioluwa (9), and Obafunto (6)—have been under constant threat, forcing them to relocate repeatedly while living in fear.
She alleged that immediately after her husband’s death, his relatives forcefully took possession of his car, ATM cards, office keys, and other valuables, and subsequently evicted the family from their home, leaving them homeless.
“They have continued to trail us wherever we go,” she said. “My children have been attacked on their way to school. We are not safe.”
Mrs. Raji also recounted a 2022 assault in which she sustained serious injuries, including a fractured leg and deep cuts to her face, which she attributed to the same individuals.
She linked the hostility to a change in religious belief within the family. According to her, although she and her husband were initially Muslims, she later converted to Christianity after recieving spiritual help from a local church, the decision she said was strongly opposed by her husband’s family.
“After I changed faith, everything changed,” she said. “I was no longer accepted as a member of the family. They made it clear I was not entitled to anything, and they acted on it.”
The situation reportedly escalated further in 2024 when, according to her, suspected assailants invaded her residence at night, destroying property and demanding documents she used for her livelihood.
“They threatened to kill us the same way they killed my husband if I didn’t comply,” she alleged.
She said she managed to escape with her children and has since been moving from one location to another, relying on friends for shelter while remaining in hiding.
Mrs. Raji stated that she reported the incidents to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, Lagos, as far back as 2021.
Although suspects were invited for questioning, she claimed they were released without further action, and subsequent reports have yielded no meaningful intervention.
Now displaced and living in fear, the widow is appealing to authorities for justice and protection, saying her family’s safety remains at risk.
“We just want to live in peace,” she said. “My children deserve a future without fear.”