Man Mistakenly Slaps Wife To Death After Returning From Vigil In Owerri

The Imo Police Command has arrested Onyekachi Anele, a 36-year-old father-of-two, for mistakenly murdering his wife, Chikodi, 32, after returning from a vigil, The Sun reports. Trouble allegedly started on June 1, 2016, when Chikodi, 32, asked him to give her son from an earlier marriage, N100 to take to school.

Anele said: “I got married to Chikodi over four years ago. She had a son for another man before we got married. We have been living together in peace. On May 31, 2016, I went to my church, Jesus Disciples Fellowship, where we had a vigil. I came back around 5:30 am and started playing Christian music.

My wife came to where I was and said that I should give my stepson N100 naira to go to school. I told her that I had no money with me. You see, my late wife was hypertensive; she became very an­gry that I did not give my stepson N100. She started to insult me.

I got angry and slapped her. She slapped me in return. I was shocked by her effrontery and slapped her a second time. She fell down and fainted. I rushed her to City Hospital, Nekede. On getting there, the doc­tor checked her and confirmed that she was dead.

I went to the nearby police station at Umuguma and reported the matter to the police and they arrested me. I love my wife. I had no intention to kill her. It was misunderstanding and annoyance that prompted me to slap her and she died. Up till now, it looks like a dream and a mystery to me.”

In an interview with The Sun, a neighbor, Chukudi Eneka said, “They both loved each other; they were a good family. The devil just caused this thing. Suddenly we heard them quarrelling. The husband slapped the wife and the wife slapped him back. The hus­band then slapped her again. She fell down and fainted. We thought it was a joke. When she was taken to the hospital, the doctor said she was dead. We are shocked over the incident.”

The case has been trans­ferred to the State Criminal Investiga­tion Department, where Onyekachi has been in detention as investigation continues.