Lawrence Uzor, an aluminium worker, attacked his wife and removed her eyes in Abia State.
This incident, which reportedly involved ritual purposes, occurred on the night of Saturday, August 24, 2024, at Adiele Estate in Umueze Ibeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area.
Lawrence, who is from Umuchieze in Bende LGA, used a knife to gouge out his wife’s eyes while she was asleep. He also attacked his landlady, Madam Lovejane Nwaiwu, injuring her by knocking out some of her teeth and cutting off her upper lip.
Madam Nwaiwu, who was also admitted to the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia, recounted hearing noises from the couple’s apartment. She said: “At about 10 pm on Saturday, I heard the man shouting ‘Odogwu, Odogwu (mighty, mighty)’. 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 up to about 12 am and was restless. At about 1 am, the wife, who is a teacher with one of the foremost private schools in Umuahia and aged 38 years started shouting, ‘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 started pushing on people’s gates and calling out to Umueze people, but nobody came out or responded. After all, my attempts to call neighbours to come and nobody answered me, I went to their parlour door and started knocking on the door and suddenly, he opened the door while holding the knife and tried giving me cuts on the head but I defended my head with my hand and he cut me at the hand and further slashed the knife at my face that incidentally cut me at the mouth and many of my upper teeth came out.
“I ran into my house and locked the door, while he ran outside, locked our gate and went to a neighbor’s house to tell them that he had killed his wife and his landlord’s wife. While inside my room, I called my mother and my daughter, who then called a church neighbor and the community vigilance team who rushed to the neighbor’s house and apprehended him.”
Abia State’s First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, expressed deep sadness about the incident, especially since she had recently signed an agreement with the UNFPA on gender-based violence.
Speaking at the Federal Medical Centre, she promised immediate action to ensure the victim’s well-being and protection. “This is a terrible case of violence and attempted murder,” she stated.
Mrs. Otti also assured that the state government would address such cases and enhance its GBV response efforts.
She commended the Umueze Ibeku community for their support and pledged that the state GBV team would continue collaborating with local communities. Additionally, she donated money for the victims’ treatment and care.
Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi, Medical Director of FMC Umuahia, represented by Mrs. Aisha Onyemaobi, explained that Lawrence’s wife, aged 38, was deeply asleep when the attack occurred. She is expected to make a good recovery, and the suspect is in custody.
Tutus Jonah, chairman of the Umueze Ibeku community and General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, confirmed the incident. He described it as shocking and said that the couple had lived well together before this event. He mentioned that Lawrence had visited a prayer house and then a local stream with ritual items before the attack. The owner of the prayer house was briefly detained and later released.
The victim’s sister, Ijeoma Okpokiri, and cousin, Chioma Okpokiri, from Emede Ibeku, have appealed to the Inspector General of Police, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and other officials to look into the matter and assist their sister in her recovery.
