Friends and families of Juliet Lawrence Ita are demanding an investigation into her death when found hanged, despite being pregnant in the Calabar home she shared with her white lover.
The circumstances surrounding Juliet Lawrence Ita death who has been in a relationship with Jim Roach, aka Captain Wahala or Jimmy, for 10 years has raised brows after she died on Saturday, June 13, 2020, at Bishop Monarch Avenue, State Housing Estate in Calabar.
Jim Roach, popularly called Jimmy by friends, reported the death to the police station.
He reported that Juliet committed suicide after they had an argument. He added that she has always been suicidal.
However, friends of Juliet have refused to believe that she committed suicide and they are calling for an investigation.
A friend said Juliet found out in May that she was expecting a child with Jimmy. This is not Jimmy’s first child. Jimmy is a grandfather and has grown children abroad.
The friend adds that Juliet and Jimmy have been having issues in their relationship and it usually turns violent.
Screenshots of messages purportedly exchanged between the late Juliet and one of her friends shows her opening up that she’s suffering infidelity and domestic violence in the relationship.
Before she found out she was pregnant, she decided to leave Jimmy and reportedly asked him to pay her off with 5 million Naira, but Jimmy only agreed to pay her 2.2 million Naira – 1 million Naira at once then 100,000 Naira every month for one year.
Juliet eventually found out in May that she was 4 months pregnant and she decided to stay.
A screenshot of a chat between Juliet and a friend shows her expressing hope that her relationship with Jimmy will improve with the arrival of a baby.
However, friends said they were shocked on Saturday when they heard that Juliet had allegedly committed suicide. They said they knew instantly that something was amiss.
A source said Juliet was full of life, had a lot to live for, and looked forward to welcoming her baby.
“It’s obvious that they had a fight. Suicide is out of it for Juliet because Juliet just finished building her house.
She has her own shop and she always wanted to have a child for the guy a long time ago.
She has every reason to live so why will she go and commit suicide,” a friend of the deceased asked?
In an audio recording shared with LIB, a witness who was present narrated the events leading up to Juliet’s death.
The voice in the recording said Juliet and Jimmy had a quarrel on Friday. Early on Saturday, Juliet’s scream was heard and those in the house ran upstairs to find out what was going on. There, they saw Juliet having a breakdown, complaining that nothing she does ever pleases Jimmy. Jim tried to assure her that that wasn’t the case and it soon turned physical as Juliet pushed him. Jim, who has one bad leg, lost his balance but regained it and allegedly stomped Juliet with his leg.
The voice in the audio adds that Juliet then asked everyone to leave the room and they obeyed.
The witness said he later went back to the room Juliet was in and was shocked to find her hanging from a fan. He screamed for help but no one came so he untied her and brought her down.
He said that at this point, Jimmy was in his home office to receive a male visitor, who is also a foreigner.
The witness said he kept screaming and people rushed into the room. Juliet was rushed to two hospitals and she was pronounced dead in both places.
A source adds that only hours after Juliet’s body was deposited in the morgue, another lady allegedly moved into the home and she is still there in the house with Jimmy.
“Juliet was pregnant and she died with the baby and here he is with another woman,” an insider lamented
The case has been reported to the State Housing Police Station, Calabar, by Jimmy. Friends said he reported Juliet’s death as a suicide but they want the police to investigate the circumstances leading up to her death.
The friend of the deceased said Juliet’s family visited the house where Juliet died on Sunday, June 14, but they do not have the means to seek justice or find out what happened to their daughter because they are powerless and Jimmy allegedly has connections.
Before Juliet’s death, she reportedly adopted her mother’s younger sister’s children (2 kids) and they were living with her and Jimmy.
Our source adds that they were in the house when Juliet died but Jimmy has allegedly refused to release the kids to Juliet’s family.
The source adds that the biological mother of the children has demanded to have her kids back but Jimmy has refused to release them.
The Cross River State Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo when contacted said she hasn’t been made aware of the matter, but promised to find out and revert.
