by ‘Jola Sotubo

A couple in Imo have died in a fire which engulfed their home in the Umuodo community of the Ezinihitte Local Government Area of the state.

Ngozi Chilekezi and his wife, Patience lost their lives in the incident which many believed was an accident until the dying husband revealed otherwise.

The couple’s 12-year marriage had fallen on hard times and Patience was said to have been making plans to leave her husband when he found out and began making plans of his own, to get another wife.

This development did not go down well with Patience and according to Ngozi, his wife covertly invited him into their home, doused him with petrol, lit a match and held onto him so he wouldn’t escape.

Vanguard reports:

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 Vanguard 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 not escape from the evil plot,” a villager recounted.

The villager equally told Vanguard 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.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs. Joy Elemoko, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident.