A 33-year-old woman identified as Sokari West was allegedly stabbed to death yesterday by her husband during a fight in their house in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. Daily Sun gathered that the victim, a mother of two, had a quarrel with her husband, Ibisaki, a native of Minama community in the same local government area, over her alleged refusal to prepare a meal for the family, which later led to a fight.
According to community sources, the victim had allegedly refused to prepare the meal as ordered by her husband on Saturday, and went out to celebrate her birthday with friends and returned late in the night.
The sources further disclosed that the couple has had several marital crises in the past, which led to their separation, but they later reconciled after the intervention of their families.
Also, they said that, while the couple engaged in the fightthat claimed the woman;s life, the husband broke a bottle and stabbed the woman on the thigh with the sharp point, which caused serious bleeding, and all efforts to save her life failed, as there were no doctors in the hospitals she rushed to.
She was later taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Choba, about an hour’s drive from their home, where she was confirmed dead by a doctor on duty.
Tonye David, a resident of the community where the incident occurred, said that the victim celebrated her birthday on Saturday in the community, and was killed by the father of her children on Sunday morning, during a fight that ensued between them after a domestic argument.
David said: “What led to the fight was that, on Saturday, the husband told her to cook. But she ignored his instruction and went out to celebrate her birthday. So, when she went home later in the evening, she met her husband eating the soup she refused to prepare. Already drunk, she tried to eat the food, but the man stopped her. She lifted the plate and poured the soup on the husband.
“Her action did not go well with her husband, who immediately stood up started beating her. He picked a bottle he collected from her in the course of the fight, broke it and stabbed her on the lap. She fell down and was bleeding heavily. They rushed her to the health centre but there was no doctor to attend to her. They took her to a medicine store to stop the bleeding, but no one was there to attend to her. So, it was when they took her to the UPTH that a doctor, who examined her, confirmed that she was dead.”
It was further gathered that Ibisaki, on hearing that the victim might not survive the stabbing, submitted himself to the Buguma Police Station.
The state police public relations officer, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident to journalists, adding that the suspect has been arrested and he is aiding in further investigation.
Omoni said: “The man is with us now; he has been arrested and helping us in our investigation. He stabbed his wife on her left leg and she later died of bleeding, though he said he did not intend to kill her.”
