Doctor killed over wife’s N25,000 pledge

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
 Calabar—A medical doctor with the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar, Cross River State, Dr. Chibueze Onunkwo, has been allegedly killed by his landlady’s daughter-in-law (names withheld) following a disagreement between his wife and the suspected assailant over a pledge made by his wife.

However, the suspect has denied committing the crime, claiming that the late doctor and his wife were the ones that attacked her for allegedly assisting the wife to protect her marriage at their 2, Oyo Efan Street, off Palm Street, Calabar residence.

The doctor’s wife reportedly pledged N5,000 to the church where the suspected assailant worshipped and later redeemed the pledge. But the suspect was said to have continued to demand that she redeem the N25,000 pledge.

Sources said the cause of the quarrel between the two women was over the reported balance of N20,000. The doctor’s wife had insisted that she pledged N5,000. The suspect was said to have attacked her.

The doctor then confronted the suspect who was said to have hit him on the head with an object. He slumped and died.

Meanwhile, the Cross River State chapter of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, has accused the police of trying to cover up the matter.

Branch Chairman of NMA, Dr, Ofem Enang, said: “NMA strongly condemns the attitude of the police and we ask the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, through the state Commissioner of Police, to carry out a thorough investigation to ensure that justice is done.”

State Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent Hogan Bassey, confirmed the in-cident, adding that inve-stigation was still on-going.

Bassey, however, denied the allegation that the police had been compromised. He said the suspect was in police custody and receiving medical attention.