Obinna Uchendu Abakaliki.
A Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital has ordered the remand of a 54 years old man , one Eseni Etta Chima in the Federal Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, for allegedly killing his wife of over 16 years, Ugochukwu Chima.
Mrs. Chima was said to have been killed by the husband in a domestic violence which occured on October 24, 2024 having sustained severe injuries inflicted on her by her husband on 4th September, 2024.
Etta who appeared in Court for the first time since his arrest by the Police over the incident, however, did not take his plea as the presiding Magistrate, Chinedu Agama, only perused the case file and adjourned the matter to the 31st December, 2024 for a report of compliance.
Magistrate Agama had directed that the case file be forwarded to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for necessary information and legal advise.
The Court thereafter ordered that the accused person be remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional Service Centre.
In an interview, the Prosecuting Counsel, Monday Aloh, and the Vice Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Ebonyi State, Serah Chukwu, stated that the prosecution Counsel has made necessary applications to the Court as required by law.
Aloh explained that the nature of the matter which he described as a case of murder demands that the defendant should go into remand system before other necessary applications can be taken on it.
Aloh added: “The next line of action is that the case file would be transmitted from Court to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution for necessary action.
“The DPP, after going through the case file will file information when need be at the High court, and trial will properly commence.”
Meanwhile, the Defence Counsel, Chibuzor Onuoha when approached for comment on the matter, refused speaking to journalists.
A relation to the deceased, Becky Orji, in an interview stated that Ugochukwu’s husband, a native of Ekoli in Edda local government area of Ebonyi state has gained notoriety in the neighborhood for constantly perpetrating domestic violence against the wife.
She narrated how their neighbours of number 60 Ogbaga road in Abakaliki had in several occasions complained of the level of violence often meted against the deceased by the husband, adding that the man was also having an extramarital affairs with a certain woman.
The deceased until her death was a mother of three, who had been married to the accused person for about 16 years before the unfortunate incident that led to her early death.
