Woman burns self, husband to death in Imo

Sorrow engulfed the Umuodo community of Itu, Ezinihitte Local Government Area of Imo State, weekend, when a man and his wife were burnt to death.


Investigations revealed that the childless couple, Mr. Ngozi Chilekezi and his wife, Patience alias Oil, had lived together as husband and wife for about 12 years before the tragedy.

While some members of the community claimed that cans of fuel stored in the house suddenly went up in flames, others said the woman poured fuel in the house before inviting her husband home for a chat and lit a match that engulfed the duo.

The later story gained currency when it was confirmed that the husband, who was badly burnt at the time he was rushed to a nearby hospital, was able to narrate what happened to his relations.

Although none of the villagers, who spoke to newsmen at the scene of the incident wanted their names in print, they were, however, in agreement that it was a well executed murder by the wife.

The villagers quoted late Chilekezi as revealing that he was invited last Saturday into their living room by his wife at about 1.30 p.m. for a chat.

“On entering the room, his wife poured fuel on him, lit a match and held him tightly to ensure that he did no escape from the evil plot,” a villager recounted.

The villager equally told newsmen that Chilekezi, a relatively comfortable automobile technician, managed to extricate himself from his wife’s grip and ran out of the burning house and was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

The dying man also told his relations that his wife was equally trapped in the burning house but before people could get back to the house, the woman was burnt beyond recognition.

Unconfirmed report had it that the late woman allegedly planned to elope with another man but the plot leaked to her husband, who allegedly confronted the strange man said to be a native of Umuezeala, Itu, a neighbouring village.

It was also gathered that because of the development, her husband started making plans to take another wife.

At press time, the charred remains of Mrs. Chilekezi was still in the burnt house, while the husband’s body had been deposited in an undisclosed morgue.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs. Joy Elemoko, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said a crack team of detectives from the state police headquarters had swung into action.