Enugu woman who was set ablaze by husband has died

Alexander Ndubuisi

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.


 
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.

Source: Punch