Gary Frist
NewsRescue– Headlines in Nigerian papers today is the story of aย 46-year-old unemployed man, who on October 7, at Agbado in Ogun state of Nigeriaย was arrested for allegedly killing his wife by throwing her into a pit latrineย over a domestic misunderstanding. Thatโs a raw dudu pit!
This is just the latest case in the chronic saga of Nigerians killing theirย wives at home and abroad.
The many spontaneous killings, unlike honor killings which are most rampantย in Nations around the world, from Asia to South America, can more accurately beย considered as crimes of passion, but some disturbingly are executed with scaryย premeditation and careful planning.
NewsRescue investigated the trends and distribution of these murdersย and found some thought and discussion provoking trends.
Pit Latrine: Traditional non water toilet
Nigeria with a population of 150 million, is Africaโs most populous nation.ย The country has over 500 ethnic groups, but of these, the three largest andย loudest, are the Hausaโs up North, The Yorubaโs in the South west and the Igboโsย in the south east.
Cases of wife murder like the one above are almost exclusively relegated toย the southern ethnic groups, with the Igboโs being culprit in 9 in 10 cases.
What makes this sad habit so common among the Igboโs has been a topic of hotย debate for many years in Nigerian internet fora. Some have attributed theย problem to an Igbo culture that places a humongous bride price on women, andย after the men cough out fortunes to marry, they tend to regard their spouses as โpropertyโ, they have bought, hence having a very low tolerance during domesticย conflict.
A commentator reacting passionately, said, โonly people who do not know Godย will do suchโ, they have abandoned God, this is why!โ
We are unable to test and correlate religion type or the lack of it withย crime in general and domestic violence and spousal murder in particular.
John Onwuka in orange prison jumpsuit
In an internet article in 2008, โNigerian Men Are Killing Their Wives in America now, โ on aย popular Nigerian blog, the Linda Ikeji blog, several Nigerians, almostย exclusively Igbo were listed, with pictures, for murdering their wives inย America.
The names included Kelechi Charles Emeruwa, Theophilus Ojukwu, Johnnyย Omorogieva, John Onwuka and Michael Collins Iheme. Nigerians reportedly haveย peculiar names that allow easy, near accurate identification by ethnicity. Theย men ranged from 40-50 years and the typical story was a man who brought his wifeย to the United States, she trained as a nurse, made good money, and later eitherย separated or feeling belittled, the man suddenly went to her abode and killedย her crudely.
After coming across a shocking article on a Nigerian forum, NigerianVillageSquare, we ran an internet search to see theย 2012 rates of wife killings and check for any trends in occurrence.
Without question, the United States has some of the highest results for โmanย kills wifeโ, several cases every month.
When we narrowed our search to โNigeria man kills wifeโ, we found severalย incidences of Nigerian episodes and these still presented with the popularย ethnic trend of being almost exclusively relegated to the Igbo south easternย ethnic group.
Nigeria Major Ethnic Groups : BBC
The realities for the women are sad and frightening to imagine. Domesticย violence data indicates that murders are a tiny fraction and minute glimpse atย the actual scale of domestic violence within societies. To each domestic murderย case reported, there are 100s more non lethal spouse battering episodes.
We at NewsRescue hope that our publication will prompt activeย discussion into the possible social or cultural etiology of this abusiveย pathology and energize women protective agencies to study any cultural causes ofย the levels of violence seen, with aim at possibly addressing them and protectingย the thousands of victims.
Here is a collection of recent cases of Nigerians killing their wives thisย 2012. Two cases are reportedly Yoruba, the rest are the Igbo group ofย Nigeria:
Mathiasย Eze, Ex-commissioner Kills Wife Over Stew
When Mathias Eze of Umu-Aji village in Umuida,ย and Patricia Ossai of Imufu, both in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area ofย Enugu State got married, little did Patricia know that her heartthrob would endย her sojourn on earth in the most gruesome manner 16 years after their maritalย union.
But on Saturday, July 21, 2012, Mathias, a formerย Commissioner in the Enugu State Independent Electoral (ENSIEC), tragically endedย the union that had produced six lovely children with an alleged gunshot over hisย wifeโs failure to prepare stewed rice for the dayโs supper.
The father of the deceased, Elder Alphonsusย Ossai, now a shadow of himself, told Sunday Sun the tale of his daughterโsย forced death as was narrated to him by the late Patriciaโs 15-year-old daughter,ย Uju, who witnessed the incident that night. Read moreโฆ
Nigeria:ย Man Kills Wife in Imo
By Johnkennedy Uzoma, 2 September 2012
Owerri โ Tragedy occurred yesterday Ihitta Ogadaย in Emekuku community of Owerri North local government area of Imo State when anย aged man identified as Mr Vitalis Okere killed his wife and escaped.
The suspect according to information available toย Sunday Trust immediately ran to unknown place after the incident to avoid beingย mobbed by angry youths. According to information, youths of the community onย hearing the ugly incident attempted to lynch the man but were prevented by someย villagers.
The suspect according to sources hails fromย Mbaise and is a father of three with two wives.
It was said the deceased was the second wife. Theย first wife died many years back.
The remains of the deceased have been depositedย in an unknown mortuary while the youth of the community are calling forย justice.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrย Vitalis Onugu confirmed the incident saying investigations to unravel theย circumstances had commenced. He told Sunday Trust that the investigation wouldย enable the command to get to the remote causes of the ugly incident.
SCANDAL:ย Top Nollywood Actor Kills WifeโฆConfesses In Kuje Prison
Rich Oganiru
Story by Nigeriafilms.com Last Updated:ย Thursday, August 30, 2012
According to what National Enquirer magazineย reported, Rich Oganiru`s name might not really ring a bell again but he`s one ofย Nollywood`s very good actors and stakeholders. In fact, he prides himself as oneย of the pioneering members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria and has starred in overย 300 movies.
Please look at his pictures again if you`re stillย in doubt because he`s presently battling a murder scandal for his allegedย involvement in the complicity leading to the death of a very rich Abuja basedย multimillionaire businesswoman believed to be his wife.
The deceased, National Enquirer gathered reliablyย is not his first wife, the first wife also died mysteriously years back and heย was in a very poor state of life before he met the Abuja based multimillionaireย who transformed his life in a matter of months. Read Moreโฆ
Igbo Man Kills His Wife In Ghana โ ModernGhana
Wonders, they say, shall never ceased. Despite theย all the effort of the Federal Government to redeemed the badly smashed image ofย Nigerians across the sea, a 26-year-old Nigerian man, Nathaniel Udama Edu, isย being held by the Mile 7 Police at Achimota in Accra, for the suspected murderย of his girlfriend, Matilda Asante, 19, a senior high school graduate at Southย Afankor in the early hours of Monday.
The body of the deceased was found in the neighbourhood, wrapped in a bedย sheet and her legs tied, while her head was covered in a black polytheneย bag.
Narrating the incident in Accra, the Crime Officer of the Mile 7 Policeย Station, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Henry Agbeve, said aroundย 7:30am last Monday the body of the deceased was found on the compound of anย adjoining house in the Ga West municipality, lying in a supine position.
According to him preliminary investigations conducted indicated that the bodyย was thrown into that house after the act with the legs tied, the head coveredย with a polythene bag and the rest of her body wrapped in a bedsheets. Read Moreโฆ
Nigeria: Man,62, Remanded for Alleged Murder of Wife
By Batholomew Madukwe, 22 August 2012
A 62 year-old man, Christian Agbaga has been remanded in prison custody by aย Yaba Magistrate court, the alleged murder of his wife following her purportedย refusal to grant him sex in the night.
Wife of the accused, Regina Agbaga, was said to have been strangled by herย husband at their 10, Ligali Street, Ajegunle, Lagos home. She allegedly held herย neck on their matrimonial bed. The accused (Agbaga) is facing a murder chargeย under section 221 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
Refusing to the plea of the accused, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs. S. K.ย Matepo, ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri, Lagosย and urged the prosecutor to duplicate his file for the DPPโs advice. The matterย was adjourned till 15 October for the DPPโs report. Read More...
Man kills son, mutilates wife overย alleged infidelity
April 20, 2012 by Eniola Akinkuotu
A washerman, Henry Nnamdi, hasย allegedly killed his one-year-old son, Chukwuebuka, in order to spite his wife,ย whom he accused of having an extra-marital affair.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Henry also used a hot pressing iron to burn his wife,ย Mercy, and stabbed her repeatedly in order to force her to confess to theย allegation.
A police source said 40-year-old Henry had been suspecting that his wife wasย having an amorous relationship with his father for a while.
Our correspondent learnt that on Easter Sunday around 2am, Mercy turned downย her husbandโs request for sex resulting in an argument between the couple.
A reliable police source told PUNCH Metro, โHenry and his wife live togetherย in a room with their only child at 3, Lambe Street, Ago Palace Way, Lagos.
โThe suspect had been suspicious of his wifeโs movement and on that very day,ย he came back home late in the evening and was ironing his customersโ clothes onย the floor while his wife and son were on the bed.
โHis wife and son were both naked because the room was poorly ventilated.ย Henry then told his wife he wanted to have sex with her but she refused.
โHenry was infuriated by her refusal and saw it as a confirmation of hisย suspicion. He grabbed the pressing iron and started inflicting burns all overย Mercyโs body, including her private part, asking her to confess.โ
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect immediately grabbed his son and fled.ย However, the corpse of his son was later found in the compound. Read Moreโฆ
Nigeria: Jealous Husband Sets Wife On Fire forย Accepting Wine From Another Man At Party
By Bartholomew Madukwe, 26 September 2012Love is said to be theย fire of life that neither consumes nor purifies; but for 35-year-old Janethย Odehgbe, hers was a different case as she has been set on fire by her husbandย following disagreement over her collecting a cup of wine from another man duringย a party they both attended.
Recounting her ordeal in the hand of her 39-year-old husband, Mr Kehindeย Adesanmoye, Janeth told Crime Alert that on September 11, 2012 around 10 pm, herย husband poured petrol on her as she was preparing Indomie noodles for a customerย and fire caught her immediately. She was nearly consumed by the fire but forย passers-by that rescued her.
She said, โI saw him coming towards me, as he got nearer, he ordered myย customer to leave and as I tried to run for my dear life, he poured petrol on meย and fire caught up with me immediately. Passers-by rescued me and ran after himย to fight him, but immediately they noticed it was him, they all went to theirย various homes. Then some of them took me to the Police station and from there Iย was taken to Peaceful Convalescent Center, Alhaji Obe Street, Ejigbo Lagos.โ
Janeth, who hails from Isoko area of Delta state and earns her living fromย selling cooked Indomie along Ikotun roundabout, claimed she was illegallyย married to Adesanmoye (popularly called Ogunlade) after divorcing her firstย husband.
Trouble was said to have started for the duo on September 8, 2012 whenย Adesanmoye and his wife went for a naming ceremony of a friend who stays besideย their residence at 22, Olaoluwa Street, Abaranje, Ikotun. โAs we got to theย party, my friends who were also present were hailing me, calling me โIndomieโ, because I was known for selling Indomie. I was invited to sit on the chairs theyย have organized for friends. Adesanmoye was sitting right beside me. Read Moreโฆ
Man Kills Wife in the Presence of Hisย 11 Year-old Sonโฆ Says he had โMental Problemsโ
Posted on Friday, September 7th, 2012 at 1:42 PM
By Adeola Adeyemo
The last time the Nigerian media was agog with news of a man who hadย allegedly butchered his wife, it was greeted with a loud public outcry.
It was a gruesome sight. Deep knife cuts, blood all over, her gorging eyesโฆ it was all too much too bear. In fact, it wonโt be out of place to say thatย Nigerians have not yet recovered from the shock of Titi Arowoloโs death.
And now, a year later, another case of a wife killer has been uncovered inย Enugu state. Graphic pictures of her lifeless body showing deep cuts with bloodย oozing out have circulated over the internet stirring another outcry.
The Enugu State Police Command, on Thursday September 6th, 2012 paradedย Sunday Eze for allegedly butchering his wife with a machete in Nsukka, Enuguย State. Read Moreโฆ
A middle aged man, Peter Odion, has become aย guest of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly killing his wife, Ifeomaย Ohalele Odion, for eating his food.
The incident occurred at their residence at 2,ย Olushola Close, Abule Taylor, Abule Egba, Lagos State.
Chiweiko Ohalele, a sister of the deceased whoย was living with the couple but was not at home when the tragedy occurred, said: โI was in my village meeting on Sunday afternoon when one of our neighboursย called me on phone to meet them at a hospital at Abule Egba over my sisterโsย condition. When I got there, I met my sister in an unconscious state with bloodย dripping from her head and face. In fact, she could not neither talk norย recognise me.
I begged the doctor on duty to transfer her toย the General Hospital at Ilepo because her condition was very bad. And heย obliged; but before she could be attended to at the General Hospital, my sisterย died. When I confronted her husband who was also in the hospital on whatย transpired between him and my sister, he said he fought my sister for trying toย eat the eba (garri) he made for himself.โ
According to her, the suspect claimed that whenย they returned from church, he told his wife to prepare eba for him and herย daughter, but she refused, claiming she had headache. Peter allegedly went aheadย and prepared the eba; only for the wife to get up to eat the food.
A fight then broke out between the couple whenย Peter insisted his wife must not eat the food.
In the course of the fight, Peter pushed her andย she hit her head on a hard object inside the room and fainted. He raised anย alarm and neighbours assisted him to rush the unconscious woman to theย hospital.
โI did not intend to kill her because we have notย had any disagreement before the tragic incident happened,โ he said. โI pray thatย God would forgive me.โ Read Moreโฆ
Man accused of killing girlfriend for denyingย him sex
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Edith Nwokolo, who resided at 94, Mushin Road, opposite Ire-Akari Roadย Junction, Isolo, Lagos State, was visited by her estranged lover, Amaechiย Uchenna, on February 23 around 10pm. By 11pm, Nwokolo had died in mysteriousย circumstances while Uchenna was still in the apartment. Nwokoloโs family membersย alleged that the victim was strangled by Uchenna after a failed attempt to rapeย her. But the police said the cause of her death had not yet been ascertained asย they were still awaiting the autopsy report. The suspect is being detained atย the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba. Read Moreโฆ
Horror: Man Kills Step-Son โfor telling wife of his plot to kill herโ
A middle-aged man, Robert Anyanwu of Onunwankwo, Umuhuali community inย Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State is now in police net for allegedlyย killing his step-son for revealing to his mother plot by him to murder her.
Anyanwu, 45, was alleged to have slaughtered his step son, Chigozie Anyanwu,ย a seven-year old primary one pupil, for daring to expose his evilย intentions.
The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sylvester Igbo, aย deputy superintendent of police (DSP) confirmed the incident, when contacted byย our reporter.
โIt is confirmed that a man killed his son, it is a confirmed story,โ he saidย and noted that the police were investigating the matter.
Sources from Umuhuali community revealed that Anyanwu, on June 15, 2012,ย hacked the boy down with a machete on their road to the farm and buried him in aย shallow grave in the forest.
The source noted that Anyanwu had, prior to the incident, confided in the boyย that he was going to kill his mother within the week for undisclosedย offences.
Robert warned the boy against revealing the information to anybody,ย especially his mother. Read Moreโฆ
Man Kills Girlfriend Over Phone in Calabar
July 11, 2012 in
The 23-year old girl, Miss Roseline Ijeoma Christopher, was allegedly killedย by her boyfriend over her phone which he allegedly stole from her room when heย was on a visit. Miss Dorothy Bassey, the landlady of 13, Academy Street,ย Calabar, where Ijeoma and her siblings along with their aged mother live,ย told P.M.NEWS that Ette and Ijeoma had been in a relationshipย for a while but Ijeomaโs mother told Ette to stop coming to their house becauseย of his bad behaviour towards her daughter.
However, according to Bassey, against her instruction, Ette kept sneaking inย to see Ijeoma, especially at night. Read Moreโฆ
The man who set his wife ablaze
Sadly, Naomi who was the envy of the single ladies at the wedding is lying inย the morgue because her husband allegedly set her ablaze following a quarrel.
The incident happened on February 10, 2012 at the coupleโs four bedroomย residence in Ijegun barely three months after the couple exchanged their weddingย vows.
Naomi, who narrated how her husband set her ablaze on her hospital bed beforeย she gave up the ghost, said on that fateful day,ย said Dick, a sailor,ย came back home late in the night drunk and she challenged him on his drinkingย habit, which according to her infuriated him as he beat her up and later rushedย into the store where they kept petrol for the generating set and poured it onย her as she ran into the closet to hide from his beating. Read Moreโฆ
Topic: Man sets Pregnant wife, children ablaze.
From PETRUS OBI, Enugu Sunday, October 02, 2011
A middle-aged man, Mr Ndubuisi Egeonu, yesterday in Enugu attempted to killย his pregnant wife and his two male children when he locked them up in hisย barbing shop and set the place on fire.
The incident which happened at about 11: am at No. 61 Mount Street, Idawย River in the Awkunanaw area of Enugu was said to have come as a surprise to bothย the pregnant woman and neighbours.
Egeonu popularly known as Sagay, and who is now on the run, reportedlyย arrived his shop that morning and requested the wife to escort him to a fillingย station to buy fuel.
When they returned he reportedly tried to drag one of his female neighboursย from a nearby shop, claiming she was indebted to him. The effort proved futileย as neighbours intervened.
An eyewitness who described Egeonu as an erratic character that regularlyย beat his wife narrated how they were attracted to the container which served asย his shop.
โIt was when the fire started that we rushed to the shop and heard voicesย inside that we realized what happened. He actually tied his wifeโs hands, pouredย petrol into the shop, locked the shop and put the place on fire.
โWe rushed and broke the door but by then the pregnant woman and her childrenย had been severely burnt.โ Read Moreโฆ
SHOCKER ! PASTOR KILLS WIFE OVER BED GYMNASTICS
Story by AKINNAGBE AKINTOMIDE/NIGERIAFILMS.COM
Last Updated: Saturday, March 24, 2012
A senior Pastor of United Evangelical Church,Rev. Sunday Alfa has murderedย his wife,a mother of 4 for refusing him sex.
The wife,Mrs. Rose Alfa was murdered in the Mission House at about 3am inย Igojo,Ubali Village near Okene in Kogi State.
We learnt that before the woman gave up the ghost,she had confessed to aย Policeman,who was taking her to the hospital that she did no wrong to her pastorย husband and that the man came in the night in the room she was sleeping toย demand for sex,but she refused because she gave birth to her last baby inย October last year through cesarean section and the doctor asked her to abstainย from sex for some time.
We gathered that the woman had divorced the pastor and went to Benin City toย live with her brother,Mr. Alex Abah.
Four years later,the pastor went to meet the wife relations to beg forย forgiveness and pleaded with them to allow his wife come back to him because heย had been promoted to Senior Pastor and it was compulsory for him to bring backย his wife before they could effect the promotion.
The wifeโs relations agreed and allowed her to go back to the husband.
It was during his stay with the wife that the pastor eventually murdered herย over sex.
The wife,Mrs. Rose Alfa was murdered in the Mission House at about 3am in Igojo,Ubali Village near Okene in Kogi State.
We learnt that before the woman gave up the ghost,she had confessed to a Policeman,who was taking her to the hospital that she did no wrong to her pastor husband and that the man came in the night in the room she was sleeping to demand for sex,but she refused because she gave birth to her last baby in October last year through cesareanย section and the doctor asked her to abstain from sex for some time.
We gathered that the woman had divorced the pastor and went to Benin City to live with her brother,Mr. Alex Abah.
Four years later,the pastor went to meet the wife relations to beg for forgiveness and pleaded with them to allow his wife come back to him because he had been promoted to Senior Pastor and it was compulsory for him to bring back his wife before they could effect the promotion.
The wifeโs relations agreed and allowed her toย go back to the husband.
It was during his stay with the wife that the pastor eventually murdered her over sex.
