• Family says autopsy report confirms victim died of domestic violence
• We’re still investigating – Police
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Relatives of Dr. Ogechi Ezeagu, an optometrist and a mother of five children, are in agony following what they termed the strange and suspicious death of the woman.
They are accusing the husband of being responsible for the death of his wife, who they claimed died of domestic violence.
The sad incident, which happened on July 10, 2023, was said to be the climax of several violent activities that had occurred between the husband and the wife over a period of time.
John Ezeagu, a 49-year-old native of Amanduba Amakor Umuaka, Orlu, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, is a trader who deals in floor tiles and other related items. He lives in Bwari, Abuja, and was said to have been married to the 40-year-old late eye doctor for 12 years. The marriage was blessed with five children – three boys and two girls.
The sad incident brought pain and anguish to the family and friends of the deceased, including her professional colleagues at the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA).
The incident has also caused some people that knew the deceased and her family to keep wondering when and how domestic violence could have occurred between the couple when no case of domestic violence was ever reported by the women.
A family member told Saturday Sun that the family was never informed that the deceased was passing through domestic violence to the point of losing her life, neither did she ever raise concerns or complaints about any case of domestic violence.
A family friend also told the newspaper that he was not convinced that the deceased could kill his wife.
However, the deceased’s brother, Stanley Okeke, informed Saturday Sun, that two persons (a friend to the husband and his sister’s neighbour) had hinted him several times of the goings-on in the sister’s marriage. But he said each time he confronted the sister with the matter, she defended the husband and downplayed the matter. He said she, insisted that nothing was wrong in her family, and that her husband was a nice husband and father to their five children.
It was gathered that what led to her death began on Sunday July 9, 2023, when the family got a call from the husband, John Ezeagu, that he was on his way to Jos to meet with his wife’s family over several issues that he said was bothering him regarding the marriage. Shortly, after the man arrived at the family house in Jos in his car, his wife also arrived in Jos.
What transpired in Jos
Stanley continued: “The husband said he was in Jos to register his complaints and displeasure about the misbehaviours of his wife lately. He said she no longer respected him, among other complaints. But before the discussion could be concluded, the man angrily walked out of the house. He said he was going to meet some of his friends in Jos.
“Little did we know that he had left Jos and was headed to Abuja. No one could suspect that he was on his way to Abuja because he didn’t pick the car that he came to Jos with. The car was left in the compound in Jos, so no one could suspect that he had left Jos. The wife, as well as every other person, became worried after several hours that he never showed up. But we tried to calm her down.
“But the wife, having suspected that the man might have left Jos for Abuja, considered the option of heading to Abuja. She called the family around 6pm that she was returning to Abuja. We were concerned because of the level of insecurity on the road and the risk of travelling to Abuja that night. But she insisted and we allowed her to enter the road that night. But we kept in touch with her until 1am on Monday July 10, when she confirmed through a text message that she had arrived Bwari, Abuja
“We gathered that she arrived in Bwari late, and expectedly, the house was asleep already. But she was locked outside by her husband who was already in Abuja. All efforts to get him to open the door were unsuccessful. She said it was around 3am that he was forced to open the door for the wife.
“We are, however, surprised to hear that the couple settled their differences that same day, and that they even attended the child dedication of one of their friends somewhere. We weren’t uncomfortable with that information, but couldn’t do much because it was our prayers and desire that they settle their differences and forge ahead.”
“On Monday, July 10, 2023, the sad incident that shocked everyone in the family happened. The husband called me around 3am that I should quickly rush to Abuja immediately. Then he hung up. No detailed information was provided about the situation. I tried reaching back immediately but he never picked the call. I was restless and couldn’t sleep anymore. I continued calling until few minutes after 4am that he picked the call and asked that I come to Abuja as quickly as possible, that my sister was breathing somehow. I asked him to rush her to the hospital for urgent medical care.
“I was restless all night, and never thought that her life had gone. Immediately, I informed my other siblings about the development, and took off from Jos to Abuja shortly before 6am. Before then, my sister in Port-Harcourt had contacted one of their neighbours in Bwari, Abuja, who confirmed the development, and added that my sister was rushed to the Catholic Hospital, Bwari, Abuja.
“When I arrived at the hospital in Abuja, I was expecting to see her in one of the wards taking treatment, but was surprised when I was led to the mortuary to see her dead body, which was about to be embalmed. I stopped the process of embalmment, and requested for an autopsy to ascertain the true cause of her death because the death, obviously, was not natural.
“The Bwari hospital said they didn’t have the facilities to keep the body, and suggested that I immediately move the body to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, which I did, but still couldn’t get result. I ended up at the National Hospital, Abuja, where the body was kept in the fridge. I was asked to get a police report and other things before autopsy could be done. I tried doing that within the hospital area but was asked to return to Bwari where the incident happened and I did.
“Unfortunately, I met several frustrations and obstructions which were obviously put in place to frustrate the efforts to get justice for the deceased.
“We also discovered that before all that, my sister’s Facebook account, pictures and videos, Whatsapp messages and other things that could be used as evidence to prosecute the case had been deleted.”
Why we were not happy with police
Stanley, the victim’s brother, also narrated that getting the police report on the incident was not easy.
He said: “We were given four days by the hospital to get the police report and other things required to effect the autopsy, but getting it became difficult.
“We tried all we could to beat the deadline but that wasn’t happening, until we petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the matter and also contacted the headquarters of FCT Police Command. We also involved the media. That was when we were able to get all that was required for the autopsy exercise which was later done before the deadline.
“In the petition, we informed the IGP about the suspicious games being played by his officers at Bwari, and also the way his men in the State CID were handling the matter. We requested and appealed that the matter be immediately transferred to Federal CID, Garki, for proper and uninterrupted investigations.”
He said the FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, was also contacted on the matter, and she added more pressure on the police in Bwari to provide all the support needed to facilitate the autopsy.
Autopsy
Mr. Stanley, however, confirmed that the autopsy was successfully done. But he said before the autopsy was done, the doctor had told the family members that there was evidence of beatings and some sort of strangulation on the body.
Few days ago, the autopsy result was released and was read before the family members. It revealed that Dr. Ezeagu died of asphyxiation due to strangulation.
However, the family of the late Dr. Ogechi Ezeagu, said the next line of action would be to approach the court next month when the court resumes from vacation.
Optometrists demand justice
Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA), the professional body she belongs to, has reacted to the development. The body called on the security agencies and other groups to take up the matter and ensure that justice is served to all parties, especially the late Dr. Ogechi.
NOA President, Dr. Anderson Chimeziri, in a statement, vowed that the association will not let the matter lie low.
“We shall put measures in place to ensure thorough investigation that would enable justice for all. We would safeguard all our members, particularly the vulnerable ones among us who are mostly women.
“We are already collaborating with Women Optometrists in Nigeria (WON) to provide legal services that will protect our female members whether single or married from abuse of any kind. The welfare of our members is our utmost priority.”
He said NOA had set up a committee on women affairs to liaise with existing bodies and interface with gender-based activists to protect the interest of women-members from harassment and abuse.
“But on Dr. Ezeagu’s case, we are closely monitoring the matter and shall respond as the need arises. We sympathise with her family and the Optometry community in Nigeria,” he said.
Ezeagu’s family
Mr John Ezeagu, at the time of filing this report, was still in police custody. But efforts to get his family to react to the allegations against him yielded little result.
Saturday Sun contacted Chigozie Ezeagu and Uzoma Ezeagu to speak on the matter but none was forthcoming.
When Saturday Sun contacted Chigozie Ezeagu the first time on Wednesday night, he said: “Please I am indisposed to talk now. I can’t say anything on the matter now. You can call me tomorrow.” He, however, neither picked nor returned calls the following day. A text message delivered to his phone was also not replied. Similarly, several calls to Uzoma Ezeagu’s phone was not answered.
Meanwhile, a close friend to the family identified as Oba Diko, described the situation as very unfortunate, stressing that the family was still in a mourning mood, and wouldn’t like to speak further on the matter.
But another family friend, a man, said he was not convinced that the man could have killed his wife. He was of the opinion that her death might have been caused by some other circumstances.
We’re still investigating – Police
When contacted, the FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, replied via a WhatsApp message. She said: “The case was transferred to FCT Command CID and it’s still under investigation and the outcome will be communicated.”