Mrs. Priscilla Otti, the First Lady of Abia State, expressed her profound sadness over the story of a man who gouged out his wife’s eyes in Umuahia early on Sunday morning, purportedly for ritualistic reasons.
It was discovered that Lawrence Uzor, a laborer for the aluminum industry who lives in Adiele Estate in Umueze Ibeku in Umuahia North but works in Umuchieze in Bende Local Government Area, had taken her wife’s eyes out while she was asleep at around one in the morning using a knife.
The man also caused injuries to the couple’s landlady, Madam Lovejane Nwaiwu, who was also hospitalized at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, and whose husband works and lives elsewhere, saying, “I heard the man shouting ‘Odogwu, Odogwu (mighty, mighty)’ at about 10 pm on Saturday.” I was worried as I had not heard the man and his wife, Amarachi Lawrence, praying like that.
“I started praying for them. After that, I couldn’t sleep until about 12 am and was restless. Approximately one in the morning, the 38-year-old wife, a teacher at a prestigious private school in Umuahia, began yelling, “Mummy, I have been killed.” I opened my door, came out, peeped through their bedroom window and saw the man pressed down on the wife with a knife in his hands.
“I began knocking on people’s gates and shouting for the Umueze people, but no one answered or emerged. I went to their parlor door and began knocking after making several attempts to get the neighbors to come over but getting no response. With the knife in his hand, he opened the door abruptly and attempted to slit my head, but I protected my head with my hand. He sliced my hand, then slashed the knife at my face, cutting my mouth in the process. Some of my upper teeth came out.
He fled outside, locked our gate, and went to a neighbor’s house to inform them that he had killed both his wife and his landlord’s wife. I hurried inside and locked the door. I called my mom and daughter from inside my room, and they in turn called a neighbor from the church and the community vigilance team, who came racing to the neighbor’s house and took him into custody.
Speaking at the Federal Medical Centre, where the victims are receiving treatment, Mrs. Otti expressed her profound sadness over the case, noting that it was a horrific instance of violence, attempted murder, and violence, and that it had happened just days after she and the UNFPA had signed a compact agreement on gender-based violence. She also promised to take prompt action to guarantee Mrs. Lawrence’s safety and well-being.
Mrs. Otti reassured the state once more that she would see to it that the GBV response front desk and team took the appropriate measures, and she praised the Umueze Ibeku community for their support and response to the problem. The Abia First Lady also donated cash for the treatment and upkeep of the victims.
The Director of Medical Services, Mrs. Aisha Onyemaobi, represented the Medical Director of the FMC, Umuahia, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi, who earlier in his response had informed Mrs. Otti that the main victim, Mrs. Lawrence, 38, was reportedly sound asleep when her husband woke her and began cutting her. He further stated, “There was an attempt to gouge out her eyes and she had genital mutilation,” while the suspect remains in custody.
Onyemaobi further disclosed that good progress in her recovery was expected.
Ijeoma Okpokiri, the victim’s sister, and Chioma Okpokiri, her cousin, both of Emede Ibeku, begged the Inspector General of Police and all branches of government—in particular, Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State—to look into the situation and assist their sister in getting better.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
