Man who macheted wife to death over N55,000 says ‘my mother is the cause’

A 44-year-old man, Ejowor Augustine Golah, has put the blame of his murdering his wife with a machete on his mother, saying that she was the one manipulating him physically and spiritually.

Golah was recently paraded with other suspects at the headquarters of Delta State Police Command in Asaba. He was alleged of killing his wife with a machete.

The Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, said at the press briefing that on June 16, at about 5pm, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ovwian Aladja Division got a report that a woman, Felicia Catibekpe, was murdered by a suspect. The police commissioner said that he fled after committing the crime.

“On receipt of this complaint, the Divisional Police Officer detailed operatives to embark on a discreet investigation. The suspect was eventually arrested on June 21 when he reported himself at Ovwian Aladja Police station. Suspect stated that he murdered the woman during the course of a disagreement, using a machete. Suspect is in custody and investigation is ongoing,” CP Abass stated.

In an interview, the suspect who hailed rom Okolor Inland in Udu Local Government Area of the state, confirmed that he was arrested for killing his wife. “My wife and i got together in September 2020. We came from the same local government area. We didn’t have children together as she lost two pregnancies last year and this year. However, she had four children from her previous marriage – three females and a male, while I also had four from mine – three males and a female.

My first wife and I divorced in 2015 because of political party affiliation. I belonged to APC while she was in PDP. I was picked as chairmanship candidate in my party but  she made my party to lose to PDP because of her strength in the party and the money she got. That was what separated us. She had two boys and a girl for me.

“I got another woman who had a boy for me, and it was my mother who sent her away. I wanted to go and do a welding job and I had a quarrel with my mother before leaving. By the time I returned home, my wife had used the N300,000 I kept in her account to pack her belongings, taking the child she had for me with her. I learnt from my mother that she was accused by my wife that she was the one manipulating my life physically and spiritually, which made her to send her out of our family house where I was living.

“At the start of my living together with Felicia, we were doing very fine. We did not have any problem with each other. The cause of the problem that put me into trouble was my mother. When I married Felicia, I told her not to be close to my mother. I had noticed that I usually experience failure in whatever my mother knows of. For example, if I was asked to come and work, once my mother knew about it through my wife, I would lose the job and return home empty handed. My mother and one of her sisters didn’t like me from childhood. They used to maltreat me. I’m her third child and first son among seven children. That was what made me to warn Felicia not to be close to my mother.

“I developed a sickness when I woke up a particular day and felt my body and head as if a spiritual bomb was thrown at me. I had also gone to a native doctor who informed me that I was being troubled by my mother spiritually. There came a time I had spiritual attack and was not feeling well. It was serious, and I made Felicia to know that it was my mother’s spiritual attack. Despite this, she went to my mother and brought herbs made with leaves to rub my head. I did not agree to it. I sent my mother away, warning her not to come to my abode again to cause confusion. That was when we started having problems with each other this year.

“The sickness became worse. I told my wife to follow me to check what was wrong through divination, but she did not go with me. I went alone. As I approached the female native doctor, she asked me of my offence against my mother which made her to be after me spiritually. When I got back home, I explained what I was told to my wife. The native doctor also gave me leaves to rub on my head and hands, after which I felt a relief.

“The latest problem was about the issue of money. She later told me I was owing her N55,000 which I used in repairing my vehicle that got damaged in an accident. It resulted in a fight between us. She took a knife and I also got a cutlass. As she aimed the knife at me, I blocked it, but got injured a little. That was when I used the cutlass I held on her. I didn’t even know where it landed. When I saw that she was in the throes of death, I called my brother and told him before I ran into the bush and drank poison in order to kill myself. I died (became unconscious) but woke up again. That was when I came out of the bush and surrendered myself to the police.”

CP Abass said that the suspect would be charged to court on the completion of investigation.