Police begin probe of alleged suicide by corporal after shooting wife, 2 daughters

By PETER OKUTU

ABAKALIKI— EBONYI State Police Command, yesterday, said it had begun full scale investigation to unravel the circumstances that led one Corporal Anthony Ugwuoke, to commit suicide after allegedly shooting his wife, Nkechi, 30, and two daughters, Adaeze, 3, and Chidinma, 1.

Ugwoke attached to B’ operations in Abakaliki, was an orderly to a High Court Judge (name withheld).

The unfortunate incident took place on Sunday at Edda village in Ugwuachara of Ebonyi local government area of the state.

Speaking with Vanguard, Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Kpirikpiri Police Station, Superintendent Sampson Etta, who wondered why the late Ugwuoke decided to kill himself, lamented that Ugwuoke shot his wife at the upper shoulder while his children sustained various degrees of injuries from gun shots.

According to him, the police on receiving information about the incident, rushed to the scene, rescued the wife and children presently in a critical condition at the Federal Teaching Hospital, FETHA.

Etta explained that efforts to get details on what led to the shooting spree from Mrs. Ugwuoke proved abortive as doctors in the hospital prevented any form of interaction with her.

“We were not able to obtain any detail as to what led to the shooting spree in the family. We don’t know whether it was domestic or spiritual. The wife of the deceased who was shot at the upper shoulder is in a critical condition in the hospital and the doctors are not willing to let us talk to her until she is stable. My men went to the hospital but couldn’t obtain details. The children are responding to treatment”

It will be recalled that on August 19, a police corporal, Mr. Anthony Ugwoke attached to B’ operations in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state and an orderly to a High Court Judge (name withheld) shot himself dead after shooting his 30 year old wife, Mrs. Nkechi Ugwuoke and his two daughters.

The police public relations officer, PPRO, Ebonyi state command, Mr. Sylvester Igbo who confirmed the incident, said the body of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuary of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, FETHA.

According to Mr. Igbo, one berretta pistol, expended shells and one live ammunition were recovered from the scene.

via Vanguard