The family is accusing the police of denying them justice
The deceased, a 37- year-old graduate of Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, got married to Anajekwu in 2002.
After their traditional marriage, her husband’s business started dwindling financially. Her hubby went back to Brazil where he was based with a promise to return in 2003 when things would have improved.
The husband did not return until 2011, and on his way back through Cameroon, he was arrested, tried and jailed for three years over alleged drug offences. While in jail, his wife was visiting him frequently to take care of his needs.
A family member, Nnamdi Eze, said: “She spent all her life savings estimated at about N850, 000 catering to her husband’s needs until he regained his freedom and returned to Nigeria in 2013.
Eze said upon his return, her sister’s husband moved with his wife into his personal house at, Okoye Close, Iyana-Iba Estate, Igbo-Elerin, Lagos.
“In December 2014, after allegedly beating his wife, he invited his relations and others and claimed that he discovered a charm in her wife’s bag and threatened to send her away.
“Consequent upon this claim, and his decision to send his wife away, a meeting of representatives of both families was called with the community chief of his village, Chief Ezeani and the suspect’s father, present. Fortunately, the suspect’s father revealed that the item his son saw in his wife’s bag was prepared by him and given to her for protection against evil attacks by some members of their family.
“The suspect’s father noted that he had to prepare the protection after he and his daughter-in-law, Obiageli had swollen legs which were treated by a traditional healer who informed them about those responsible and recommended the protective charms to ward off further evil attacks.
“The suspect’s father, further told his son that the charm was not meant to harm him but to protect his wife and himself from evil members of their family, and counseled that it should not be enough reason to end their marriage.
He told his son that if he insisted on sending his wife away, he should set up a supermarket for her and refund her the money she spent taking care of him while in prison. The suspect agreed. It was, however, also agreed that his wife will remain with him until he fulfilled all the details of agreements which he said he would do after selling his house.
“While the deceased was still waiting for her husband to settle her as agreed, the suspect on January 19, 2015 allegedly beat her up and with the help of his friend threw her out with her property at 1am, leaving her with severe injuries.
“She ran to her friend, one Chinyere Onyali, who advised her to report the incident at the Adolf police station. “ The police did not intervene until she died two days later on January 21, 2015 at her friend’s house. Obiageli slumped in her friend’s house and when her friend called her husband to inform him that his wife had slumped, he said he did not know her. The police arrested him but immediately released him.
“ Our pain is that police investigation had been very slow and tardy, making us to suspect that we may not get justice. The police have been demanding various sums of money from us for embalmment and autopsy which we have paid, but they have bluntly refused to charge the matter to court.
“We hereby appeal to CP Aderanti to wade into the matter so that the law will take its cause. We demand for justice so that our sister’s soul will rest in peace,” the family wrote in the petition.
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