Enugu Housewife Set Ablaze By Husband Dies

MRS Ifeaoma Egeonu who
was set ablaze by her husband, Mr.
Alexander Ndubuisi Egeonu, in
Enugu on October 1, has died.
She died at the National Orthopedic
Hospital, Enugu where she was
hospitalised along with her two
sons, Udochukwu, 3, and
Emmanuel, 6, at about 10 am
yesterday.
The deceased housewife, who had
seven months pregnancy at the time
of the incident, had delivered a
premature baby and was kept in an
incubator for some days before she
died last Sunday, October 23.
Little Udochukwu who was also
burnt in the incident had given up
the ghost at the hospital and his
body deposited at the hospital's
mortuary.
Alexander Ndubuisi Egeonu alleged
killer
Ifeoma's uncle, Mr. Louis Edeh, who
confirmed her death yesterday,
described the development as very
worrisome saying members of her
family had expected that she would
survive the disaster having battled
death for over three weeks.
Ndubuisi, a barber had after
sprinkling petrol on his pregnant
wife and two sons in the
Independence Day tragedy fled his
home but he was later arrested by
the police who took him into custody
since the past two weeks.
Ifeoma, who hailed from Amuri in
Nkanu West Local Government area
of Enugu State, had while on
admission lamented her plights in
the hands of Ndubuisi, whom she
had married for about seven years.
Owing to incessant dispute with her
hubby, Ifeoma and her two kids
decided to stay with her mother for
some time and she only decided to
visit her husband on October 1 to
celebrate the independence
anniversary with him.
Ifeoma who sustained severe
burns had narrated while on her
hospital bed how Ndubuisi set her
and the two kids ablaze that
faithful day.
"When he brought the fuel, I felt he
wanted to use it for his generator,
but he was telling me that, "people
are wicked; that the woman who
sells provisions opposite owed him
had refused to pay up; somehow he
managed to attract the same woman
to the shop telling her to talk to me.
"It was all confusing, but the next
thing he started pouring petrol
inside the shop and afterwards lit a
match, but the woman forced her
way out as he tried to close the
door on all of us. It was people
around that came to our rescue, but
I and my children were already
burnt. I thank God that we are still
alive," she recounted.
Eneh said her condition worsened
last Sunday after her premature
baby died, three days after her
first son, Udochukwu gave up the
ghost at the same hospital.
The six years old Emmanuel which
has become the only survivor of the
arson, has already been discharged
from the hospital as his condition
was said to be stable.
Although the police in Enugu said
they were yet to conclude
investigation into the barbaric act
by Ndubuisi Egeonu, who until the
incident was a barber in a
container shop located at No. 61,
Mount Street, Idaw River area of
Awkunanaw, in Enugu metropolis,
members of his deceased wife have
demanded that he should be brought
to justice to serve as a deterrent to
others who might engage in such
ungodly act in future.