One man, Ikechukwu Obiora is facing accusations of strangling his pregnant wife, Ebere, to death in Anambra State. The incident happened in the Ezi-Ogwugwu, Otolo Nnewi area of Nnewi North Local Government. According to Obiora, he committed the act in a fit of anger due to domestic violence issues. He admitted to the crime to his in-laws, who are still trying to come to terms with the tragic event.
Obiora claimed that he returned home in the morning of March 2, 2023, and began knocking on the gate, but his wife did not open it immediately. In his anger, he started shouting at her, slapped and hit her, and then grabbed her by the neck and strangled her to death. He stated that he never expected that his actions would lead to her death and was shocked by what happened. He eventually abandoned the corpse and left out of fear and confusion, after confiding in a few persons for advice on what to do.
According to a source close to the family, the couple, who got married in August of last year, were anticipating the arrival of their first child before the unfortunate incident occurred. The source revealed that the couple had been experiencing intermittent episodes of domestic violence and familial challenges, which the wife’s family was unaware of.
Nathaniel Uzuegbunam’s family from Obiuno community in Otolo Nnewi expressed confusion over why the perpetrator was not present during the entire ordeal and why the mother had to be the one to deliver the tragic news. The deceased's family received a call from the husband’s mother at about 7pm on Thursday, March 2, 2023, informing them that their daughter had just slumped and appeared to be dead. When they made their way to their in-law’s residence, they were informed that their daughter had been rushed to the Nnewi Diocesan Hospital at Akwudo. At the hospital, the doctor on duty informed them that their daughter was dead after examining her body.
Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga was unable to verify the incident when contacted, but a senior police officer at the Command stated that the suspect would face charges once the investigations were completed.