Man strangles his pregnant wife to death over delay in opening gate for him

A man identified as Ikechukwu Obiora, has allegedly strangled his pregnant wife, Ebere, to death in Anambra State over delay in opening the gate for him. 

The incident happened in Ezi-Ogwugwu, Otolo-Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state on Thursday, March 2, 2023. 

It was gathered that the couple got married last year August and Ebere nee Uzuegbunam, was a few months pregnant before the unfortunate incident happened. 

The suspect admitted to the crime after he was summoned by his in-laws, in Obiuno community in Otolo Nnewi, to explain what led to the death of their daughter. 

“I returned home in the morning of March 2, 2023, and was knocking at the gate, but my wife did not open the gate immediately. In that anger, I started shouting at her. I first slapped and hit her from the gate to the house before angrily grabbing her by the neck and strangling her,” the suspect said. 

“I couldn’t believe what happened because I never expected that such actions would lead to her death. I eventually abandoned the corpse and left out of fear and confusion, after confiding in a few persons who I sought advice on what to do. It was later in the evening that my mother reached out to my wife’s family member.”

Meanwhile, a source close to the family, who spoke to the Punch on Monday, March 6, said the couple had been involved in domestic violence which had been unknown to the wife’s family members.

“Around 7pm on Thursday, March 2, 2023, the deceased family received a call from the husband’s mother, informing them that their daughter had just slumped and appeared to be dead,” the source narrated. 

“As soon as they made their way to their in-law’s residence at Ezi-Ogwugwu, 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 a medical check. The deceased family members had to take the body to another hospital, St. Felix Okolo Hospital, Nnewi, where the doctor also confirmed her dead before she was eventually deposited at the morgue,” 

A senior police officer at the State Police Command, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident to the publication, stating that the suspect would be charged after investigations.