…As man sets wife, 3 kids ablaze, dies later under mysterious circumstances
• Suspected rapist machetes girl,14, to coma
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Double tragedy of indescribable proportion has hit the Aba axis of Abia State under one week.
In one breathe, a 38-year-old man, Udochukwu, set his wife and three kids ablaze at Asa Umudioka in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state, while in another, a man, 33, suspected to be a rapist, cut a girl, 14, with a machete and she slipped into coma at Obete Nchina Village, Ntighauzo community in Obingwa council area.
Udochukwu, a shoemaker, hailed from Onicha Ngwa, in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state, while his wife hailed from a community in Ikwuano LGA, but they resided at Asa Umudioka, in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, with their three children.
In the penultimate Saturday, Udochukwu took an action that was not only indescribable, but left the entire Asa Umudioka community wondering and in sudden mourning.
Udochukwu, whose wife was said to have visited him in his shop earlier in the day to collect feeding money perhaps without success, was said to have come back home after the day’s business, not a happy man.
What was amiss? The man was said to have had altercation with his wife which bordered on the feeding money, but things appeared normalized after a while and the woman and their children went to bed.
The good Book said, “when you think its peace and safety, then a sudden destruction…”
The woman had gone to bed with her kids, putting behind whatever squabble she had with the husband and perhaps believing it could be the same with her man, but events that followed proved her wrong.
Nobody within the vicinity of their home, not even the wife knew Udochukwu harboured a horrendous plan that would wipe out his entire family, including himself.
Immediately Udochukwu realized his wife and children had slept, he was said to have poured fuel around the room of their two-room apartment where they were sleeping and set the room ablaze.
The fire was said to have immediately engulfed the entire room and before neighbours could come to save Udochukwu’s wife and children, they had all been burnt beyond recognition.
The man from the pit of hell was instantly apprehended by neighbours who then had gathered in their numbers.
The murderer was subsequently handed over to the police.
Why would a man commit such a heinous act against his own wife and children, many had asked?
But Udochukwu admitted while in police custody that he actually committed the crime because his wife refused to accept the feeding money he gave to her when he came back from his shop.
Hear him: “I returned home from my shop around after 6:00 p.m. and asked her what she will cook so I can give her money.
“She said she was not going to cook anything. I went and complained to the woman we usually buy things from to talk to my wife. The woman later called her and talked to her.”
Udochukwu further stated that not only did his wife refused to collect the feeding money, but she also insulted him seriously in the process.
“She was insulting me and saying all kind of things, telling me to hold my money and not give her anything again. Some hours after this altercation, the fire incident then happened,” he said.
The question on the lips of many is whether what Udochukwu narrated as his source of annoyance was enough to go to the length he went.
However, there is a twist to the Udochukwu story.
A man who was arrested and handed over to the police by neighbours and who even spoke to newsmen while in police custody, was reported to have been found dead under mysterious circumstances some days later.
Did he die in police custody or was he released by police after interrogation and he died at home?
There were suggestions in some quarters that the man’s death could be as a result of reprisal attack by those who were pained by his action and reasoned he should not be allowed to live.
However, police came with an answer to the puzzle.
The state command’s police public relations officer (PPRO), Maureen Chinaka while speaking with Sunday Sun, said that the man was actually taken in by the police and interrogated.
She disclosed that due to the fact he had burns on some parts of his body as a result of the fire he ignited, Udochukwu was taken to hospital for treatment, and he died later, although she was not forthcoming with the hospital he was taken to.
It is, however, not clear whether Udochukwu died in the hospital or was discharged and went home where it is being rumoured he was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Sone days after the Udochukwu incident, another one happened in nearby Obingwa LGA.
A suspected rapist identified as Chinazum Nwaubani went berserk and cut a 14-year-old girl with machete at Obete Nchina Village, Ntighauzo community.
The girl was said to have gone to work in their farm with her mates in the village when she was attacked with a machete by Chinazum.
The suspect allegedly attempted to rape the 14-year-old whose name was given as Felicia, but was resisted.
It was gathered that unable to have his way, Chinazum pulled a machete and gave the girl deep cuts on her head, leg and hand, leaving her in a pool of her blood and fled, as the girl went into coma.
Speaking, the father of the victim, Chijioke Anaba said that his family was alerted to the incident by Felicia’s mates who escaped the attack.
He lamented that his daughter lost consciousness because of too much loss of blood from the machete cuts when the search party rescued her from the bush.
Anaba who said the incident has been reported to the police, expressed fear
the suspect who hails from the same village may be released from custody to return to continue his attack on his family.
He stated that the police had told him that the suspect is mentally deranged, a bet he refused to take.
He called on the wife of the governor of Abia State, Mrs Priscilla Otti, to come to the aid of his daughter as she may be disabled following the deep machete cuts inflicted on her by the suspect.
Confirming the incident, Chinaka in a statement said that the police received a report that the twin children (male and female) of one Chijioke John of Nchina in Obingwa LGA went to their farm to work.
However, while at the farm, the suspect, a resident of the same village, allegedly approached them armed with a machete.
“He reportedly grabbed the female twin, ordered her to lie down and remove her clothes. When she refused, the suspect allegedly attacked her with the machete, inflicting injuries on her head, back, and leg. Her twin brother managed to escape and ran home to report the incident”, the statement added.
Chinaka said the suspect was arrested and investigation has started.