Landlord’s Son Fatally Stabs Tenant’s Wife in Ondo

A 27-year-old man, Quozeem Awe, son of a landlord, has been accused of fatally stabbing Deborah Adeleye, a nursing mother, during a dispute surrounding overdue rent in Ore, located in the Odigbo Local Government area of Ondo State.

During the altercation, the suspect allegedly inflicted fatal injuries on Deborah and also harmed her husband, Mathew Adeleye, as well as their daughter.

The distressing event reportedly took place around 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the Ore Alaba vicinity.

According to eyewitness accounts shared with a publication in Ondo State, the violence erupted from an argument between Quozeem and Mathew, who is a tenant in the property owned by Quozeem's family. This dispute had been escalating for several weeks over the issue of unpaid rent.

The situation reached a breaking point when Quozeem allegedly arrived at the tenants' apartment wielding both a knife and a cutlass, forcing his way in.

Mathew, speaking from his hospital bed, recounted how he and other tenants had been given a quit notice, even though their rent was not yet due, with his own lease set to expire on March 16. He shared that he was already seeking a new place to move into, with plans to leave on the very day of the incident.

"I had reached out to friends for assistance in finding a new home. We were getting ready to transition when the shocking event took place," he stated. Mathew added that there had been no prior physical confrontations between him and Quozeem before this incident.

Recounting the moments leading to the attack, Mathew said, "At approximately 5:00 a.m., Quozeem knocked on our door. I sensed trouble and warned the other tenant not to open it, suspecting potential violence from him."

However, while Mathew stepped away briefly, the other tenant opened the door, giving Quozeem access. He burst into the room where Mathew's wife, Deborah, was resting.

"As soon as he entered, he attacked my wife. She screamed out that she had been stabbed, and she died immediately," Mathew exclaimed, as grief filled his voice.

The violent act left the household in chaos, with their four children, including a nine-month-old baby, crying uncontrollably in the aftermath.

Mathew recounted hurrying out upon hearing the disturbing sounds. He confronted Quozeem at the door and during the struggle, Mathew tried to disarm him but lost balance, leading to multiple stab wounds inflicted on him as well.

Tragically, their eldest child, Tunrayo Adeleye, suffered a stab wound to her wrist in the struggle as she attempted to flee.

In the confusion, Tunrayo managed to escape outside to alert neighbors, joined by one of Deborah’s customers who had come to deliver bread for her small business.

Community members who heard the alarm rushed the injured parties to a nearby medical facility. In the chaos, the tenant responsible for allowing Quozeem entry reportedly fled and has not been located since.

Following the attack, Quozeem voluntarily turned himself in at a police station. A law enforcement source confirmed that Deborah's remains have been transferred to a morgue in Ore for examination, and investigations into the matter are currently ongoing.