- He used her for ritual, deceased’s family claims
By Agnes Igwe, Abakaliki
An indigene of Umuezekoha in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Mr. Chidi Nweke, has allegedly killed his wife while trying to take the delivery of their fourth baby by himself at home.
Thirty-year-old Nweke, who is not a medical personnel, resolved to deliver his wife of their baby in the bathroom with the help of a medicine seller in their area.
Our correspondent gathered that the victim, Mrs. Stella Nkechi Nweke, who resided at 2, Chinedu Ogah Avenue, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, had successfully delivered the baby before some complications set in.
The complications resulted in the woman bleeding heavily without being administered any remedy to stop the heavy hemorrhage.
Nkechi, according to information gathered, later gave up the ghost, when there was no medical help to stop the continuous bleeding.
It was alleged that her husband and the quack medicine seller with whom he took delivery of the baby had severed the placenta from the woman and kept it for “personal use.”
A resident of the area, who spoke with our correspondent, said, “The man had ulterior motive for doing what he did. He deliberately refused to take the woman to the hospital so that he could take the delivery at home with his quack medicine seller. The woman begged him to take her to the hospital but he refused because of the ritual he wanted to use the placenta to do. When the family and neighbour realised what happened, they asked him about the placenta, but he refused to talk and told them he had the power to whatever he liked with it.”
The deceased’s elder sister, Mrs. Njideka Chibuike, while speaking with our correspondent, accused Nweke of “forcing her to give birth in their bathroom while he refused to take her to hospital when she started bleeding.”
Chibuike further alleged, “When we took her corpse to the church to plead for God’s mercy for her revival, we got many revelations, which included that the husband had some explanations to make pertaining to her death.”
A neighbour to the couple, Mr. Peter Clement, also said, “Mr. Chidi Nweke did not alert us about the happenings till the woman was almost dead and she was taken to Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki by neighbours. She was already dead.”
Nweke has since been arrested by the police over the incident.
He was alleged to have expressed displeasure over his wife’s delivery of another baby girl. The couple already had two girls.
Nweke was alleged to have refused to take his wife, Nkechi, to the hospital when she started bleeding, angered by her delivery of another baby girl.
He was further alleged to have watched his wife, who had previously delivered twice through caesarean section, battle with labour pains in their bathroom. It was alleged that Nkechi, during labour, was locked up in the bathroom by the patent medicine seller invited by her husband.
The medicine seller was said to have brought the baby out after administering injections on her. The woman was allegedly given the injection after her husband pinned her down and held her two legs.
Her blood and the baby’s placenta were alleged to have been collected and hidden.
A nurse, Ijeoma Chinoyerem, who lives in the same compound with the couple and works with Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, said, “I went out with my aunt. When I returned, I was called. I rushed to their apartment with my aunt. I thought Nkechi was in labour. But on getting there, I saw Ogo, carrying a new born baby. The baby was already dressed up. I saw Nkechi in a pool of blood, on the ground. Her husband was standing by the door, while the unqualified patient chemist attendant was at her back, holding clothes stained with blood.”
“I asked Ogo if the baby’s cord had been tied. The birth attendant said yes. I also asked for the placenta; I was told that it was safe. I bent down to check her; I found out that her body was cold. I checked for pulse, I couldn’t get any. I touched her neck, it was cold. I raised the alarm; other neighbours gathered.
“As we carried her, blood continued to gush out. When I got to that apartment, I did all I could to restore life, but it was all to no avail. After that, we now decided to take her to the mortuary.”
The lawyer handling the case, Ikenna Okey Esq, assured that the matter would be followed up to a very logical conclusion to serve as deterrent to others.
As at the time of filing this report, the accused person was being held in police custody; the new born baby and her older siblings had been taken away by their maternal family while.
The victim’s remains have been deposited in the mortuary.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Loveth Odah, said that she had not been briefed on the matter.
The Chairman of Family Law Center, Abakaliki, Mrs. Elizabeth Nwali, described the incident as barbaric and called on the police and judiciary to ensure speedy dispensation of Justice in the
matter.
