• Buried her without parents’ consent

By Ngozi Uwujare

the troubled marriage between 43-year-old Ekenedilichukwu Eze and Blessing Ngozika Eze, 32, came to a tragic end for the woman, few days after she sustained fatal internal injuries in the head, which led to her death.

Blessing’s journey to the grave began the day she had a fight with her husband after the shocking discovery of her husband in a compromising posture with another woman in their matrimonial home.

Sunday Sun learnt that it was her attempt to question the strange woman as to the reason for her being there, led to the fight between her and the husband. In the course of the fracas, the man was said to have hit her head hard on the wall. The impact caused internal injuries, and triggered off bleeding into the skull, and she was not aware of it.

After breaking free from the husband, she ran to her father to lodge a complaint about what happened. Her father, Mr. Vincent Ugwu, who recounted to Sunday Sun what his daughter told him about the incident, also gave further insight on the matter.

He said: “It was unfortunate that my daughter got married to Ekenedilichukwu Eze, She had a rough experience in her marriage. She and her husband lived like cat and dog, and each time they quarreled I would settle the matter and appeal to them to respect each other. But the husband is violent and inhumane.

“In April, 2017, I sent my little son, Ugochukwu Ugwu, to go and stay with them. My in-law tied the two hands of the boy tightly together with a rope for 24 hours because he did something wrong. The two hands became disfigured. I have been treating the boy without success. Now he is unable to use his hands. But I kept quiet about his ill-treatment of my son.

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“What led to the death of my daughter was that she came to visit me in Umueko village, Obukpa community in Nsukka, Enugu State, to see how I was faring after I suffered stroke. Then, she returned to her home. It was not up to 45 minutes later that she rushed back to my house in tears. I asked her what happened, and she said that she saw another woman in their matrimonial bedroom. So, I calmed her down and promised that I would come to talk with her husband about it and settle the dispute.

“She went to Shallom International School, Isu-Uja Nsukka where she teaches. It was in the school during assembly that she slumped and was rushed to a hospital. From that hospital, she was transferred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, where she died on May 25, 2017, three days after the incident.

“When she died, the husband buried her quickly without our consent. I raised alarm and reported the matter at Nsukka Urban Police Station and he was arrested. As far as I am concerned, he killed my daughter.”

Following Ekenedilichukwu’s arrest, the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Enugu State Police Command. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Danmallam corroborated what Blessing’s father said.

When he spoke with Sunday Sun, the suspect, Ekenedilichukwu acknowledged that he and his late wife had had a tumultuous marriage. He added: “It is true that my wife caught me with another woman in our matrimonial bedroom. I appealed to her, yet my wife was determined to fight with the woman. In the process, I started beating her. I did not kn ow that I hit her head on the wall. I rushed her to hospital. She received treatment. It was in the school that she slumped and was rushed to the hospital and later referred to UNTH, Enugu, for surgical treatment. She died three days later.”

Continuing, Ekenedili Chukwu who hails from Ikpa Obukpa, Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State said: “I didn’t kill my wife deliberately. I didn’t know the consequence. I have appealed to my father-in-law over the matter. But the truth is that my wife was a trouble-maker. I tried to please her but to no avail. I didn’t know that the incident would lead to this situation I am in now. I have appealed to my family and family-in-law to forgive me.”

Following the conclusion of the initial phase of investigations, Ekenedili Chukwu was arraigned before a magistrate court for murder, which is contrary to section 274 (1) Criminal Code of Enugu State, 2004. The magistrate ordered that he be remanded at the Enugu prison,  pending when the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice would give his legal advice for the case to proceed to the High Court for trial.