Saturday 25 August 2012

SUICIDAL! How Police Corporal killed self after shooting wife, daughters

…I will always love and
forgive my husband,
cries wife
The ugly incident that
took place last Sunday
at Edda village in
Ugwuachara, Ebonyi
local government area
in Ebonyi State has
been described by
many as black Sunday.
This is as a result of the
horrific scenario that
occurred in a
compound, located
directly behind Kings
and Queen primary and
secondary school,
along Onwa Ali Onwa
street of the State.
The event which took
place in the morning
hours of the fateful day
led to the death of
Corporal Anthony
Ugwuoke who shot
himself after shooting
his wife, Mrs. Nkechi,
30, at the neck and
shoulder, and his two
daughters, Adaeze, 3,
and chidinma, 1, on the
hand and leg
respectively.
When Crime Guard
visited the scene of the
incident, occupants of
the compound had
deserted the area for
fear of being arrested
by the police as only
two persons were seen
in the compound
discussing the ugly
episode which took
place on August
19,2012.
Speaking with Crime
Guard, the wife of the
deceased who is
presently receiving
treatment at the
Female Surgical Ward
of Federal Teaching
Hospital Abakaliki,
FETHA, looked visibly
confused and
wondered why her
husband committed
suicide by shooting
himself on the chest.
The woman, who was
still nursing bullet
wounds, looked upon
God and the medical
personnels for the
restoration of her
health and that of her
two children. According
to her, she will always
love and forgive her
husband despite the
ugly incident that
happened to her.
Recounting her
ordeal,she said: “That
Sunday, my husband
told me that he
wanted to go to my
place with his friend
for condolence visit.
After he finished
preparing, he told me
that he was ready to
go and I said okay,
when you are coming
back, please help me
bring one of my sisters,
a nine-year-old girl,
from the village who
will be helping me out
with domestic work.
…Wounded eldest
daughter
After I said this, he got
angry and started
saying that he was not
bringing anybody; that
he did not marry me
for anybody and that
he was not even going
to my place anymore.
And he insisted that I
should pack my things
and go. I was surprised
because as at that
morning, we have not
had any quarrel or
fight. As he was
quarreling, his friend
who came to escort
him to my place told
him that it has not
gotten to that and that
he should take it easy.
“But my husband
insisted that I should
pack my things and go.
So, based on the advice
of his friend, I decided
to gradually gather my
things including my
clothing. Then the
friend left the house to
go and take care of his
family. I had the
premonition to tell him
to stay in the house
but I didn’t.
So, by the time he left,
I started gathering my
things, then my
husband told me to
only collect my clothes
and forget about that
of the children. In fact,
that I should leave the
children with him, if
they die let them die.
So, as I continued
gathering my clothes,
my husband came and
said that I should select
only the ones I bought
with my money, and
leave behind the ones
he bought for me.
“In the process, I don’t
know what came over
him, he rushed to the
door and locked it with
key. Before I could
realize what was
happening, he started
beating me and then
he brought out a pistol
and shot me on the
neck and on my
shoulders, shot my two
daughters and shot
himself on the chest.”
Mrs.
Nkechi
who is
from
Ikwo
local
government area of
the state advised her
fellow women to mind
the way they treat
their husbands,
considering her present
predicament and
appealed to the State
government to come
to her rescue by
assisting her train the
children and pay their
hospital bills.
“My advice is that as
they have seen my
condition and what has
happened, they should
watch the way they
treat their husband. My
appeal to the state
government is that
they should come to
my aid to assist me
train my children. I will
forever forgive my
husband; despite what
has happened, I still
love him.” (starts
crying).
One of the neighbors
who pleaded
anonymity described
the wife of the
deceased as very quiet
and respectable
person. She noted that
“the wife teaches at
the school behind the
yard, Kings and Queen’s
nursery and primary
school. She just came
back from the village
about a week ago after
she left the house
about three weeks
because the husband
beat her up and chased
her out of the house,
giving her big injury on
the eyes.”
Another neighbor who
also did not want his
name mentioned said
the deceased (Mr.
Ugwuoke who hails
from Nsukka in Enugu
State) was possessed
with bad spirit. He
described him as an
arrogant policeman
who usually
misbehaves and beats
up his wife on a
regular bases.
According to him:
“When I returned from
church, I noticed that
the compound was
unusually quiet. Then I
met a neighbor who
told me what had
transpired.
The late corporal has
not been a good
neighbor; he has
always been beating
up the wife. At one
time, I intervened and I
even fought with the
man because of this his
behavior. I even took
the caretaker and one
other tenant and we
went to police station
last October to report
the matter to the DPO;
that in case the man
killed somebody in the
yard, none of the
tenants should be held
responsible.
“The man is like
possessed with bad
spirit because he
doesn’t greet anybody.
He doesn’t go to
church. It is even
recently that we got to
know his name despite
the fact that he was
one of the first tenants
that packed into this
yard. Also he was in
the habit of smoking
Indian hemp.”
The Divisional Police
Officer,DPO, Kpirikpiri
Police Station,
Superintendent
Sampson Etta who
wondered why the late
Corporal decided to
end his life by
committing suicide,
noted that he
(Ugwuoke) shot his
wife at the upper
shoulder and at the
back of the neck, while
his children sustained
various degree of
injuries at the leg and
hand resulting from
gun shots.
According to him, the
police on receiving
information about the
gruesome act, rushed
to the scene, rescued
the wife and children
to the Federal Teaching
Hospital, FETHA, where
they are receiving
medical attention.
Etta stressed that there
was no need for the
occupants residing
where the Corporal
committed suicide to
be on the ran as it was
clear that nobody had
a hand in his death. He
called on them to
remain law abiding
and go about their
businesses.
It should be recalled
that on August 19, a
police corporal, Mr.
Anthony Ugwoke
attached to B’
operations in Abakaliki,
Ebonyi state and an
orderly to a High Court
Judge (name withheld)
shot himself dead after
shooting his 30 year
old wife, Mrs. Nkechi
Ugwuoke and his two
daughters.
Meanwhile,
speculations are still
rife that the deceased
committed the
dastardly act under
certain level of
influence.
The Police Public
Relations Officer, PPRO,
Ebonyi state command,
Deputy Superintendent
of Police, DSP, Sylvester
Igbo who confirmed
the incident, said the
body of the deceased
had been deposited in
the mortuary of the
Federal Teaching
Hospital, Abakaliki,
FETHA.
According to Mr. Igbo,
one berretta pistol,
expended shells and
one live ammunition
were recovered from
the scene. He said the
command had begun
full scale investigation
to unravel the
circumstances that led
to the incident.

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