My dear friends,
I come before you humble, with my head bowed and on bended knees. Today, my heart is heavy and my anguish is unimaginable. Like the biblical Rachaelweeping for the death of her children, I have refused to be consoled.
On Monday, I received a call from Nigeria from a friend about Ms Nkechi Ngene [maiden name]. Ms Ngene was 8 months pregnant, an unemployed mother of two minor children, and the wife of a man, that is known to his friends as Chico Chime- a motor cycle spare part dealer in Enugu. Both resides in Enugu GRA, and are from Akwuke Autonomous Community [Nkanu] in Enugu South LGA of Enugu State. On January 31, 2012, she confronted her husband about his incessant infidelity, and he responded by beating the crap out of her. Ms Ngene sustained various bruises, but worst was that she began to bleed profusely and uncontrollably. The unkindest cut of all was that her husband left her to die.
Abandoned on the cold floor helpless, in the full glare of their children, and life slowly but painfully slipping away from her, with her last breath she called a friend. She was rushed to the nearest hospital, and after two days of spirited medical help, she died as well as her unborn child.
Like most cowards, her husband has since gone into hiding, abandoning their minor children to the mercy of friends and family. The matter was first reported to Ogui Police Station, but referred to New Haven Police, the appropriate police station.
The matter has since been reported to the police and the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria[NHRCN]-Enugu Office. However, I have been also informed that some so called big shots from Akwuke community and Enugu South LGA Chairman's Office are bringing pressure to bear on the Police and NHRCH -Enugu to drop their investigation!!!, so that the issue [double homicide]will be handle as a “family affair”.
It is against this background that i have come to you for assistance. Please re-post this message; contact the Nigeria Bar Association; Association of Women Lawyers and any Non-Governmental-Organization, the Commissioner of Police-Enugu State[Nigeria], National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and any one that offer assistance in this matter. Ms Nkechi Ngene and her unborn child must not Die in Vain!!! Let us make a difference in another persons' life by breaking this CULTURE OF SILENCE.
Many Nigerian and African women have died in silence.
Domestic Violence is now a silent killer in our homes and lives. This is the time to take a stand and proclaim: NEVER AGAIN!
Let us honor Nkechi Ngene and her unborn child by our actions, and we must not allow members of the Akwueke Community nor those at the Enugu South LGA to sweep this matter under the rug. Double homicide is not a “family affair”, rather a CRIME.
It is my fervent wish that this matter will be given the urgency that it deserves. When evil men/women conspire, good men/women MUST congregate. The time for action is now! for the die is cast!
Now that this appeal has been made, the mercy of sleep which has long been denied me, can now be restored. That is my wish; that is my strength, and this is my consolation!
ALUTA CONTINUA!!
Attorney Ike Melchyesedech Ezekwu,Sr.
Dis is wicked! D man shld be caught n killed! Evil man...men like dat shldnt be given ab opportunity 2 live...
ReplyDeleteThis violence needs to stop.
ReplyDeleteWe need a campaign!
Domestic violence is never ok and calling it a family affairs is just saying that what he did was ok he has to pay for what he did
ReplyDeleteRIP Ms Nkechi and may God send help to ur minor children, and to the ruthless man u will know no peace until u're convicted
ReplyDeleteJesus have mercy! Justice will be done!
ReplyDeletedis issue is serious & d man must not go unpunished
ReplyDeleteI pledge to fight violence, tooth and nail, until it is completely eradicated in Nigeria. So help me God!
ReplyDeleteWicked man, I hope he's brought to book and not treated as another family affair.
ReplyDelete*anguish cry* .......................................................speechless! :c
ReplyDeleteMEN MEN MEN,y are most of you so heartless ? is it not d same woman that raised a girl child dat raised a boy child ? y do some men think they are gods ?
ReplyDeleteI guess itz simply bkos without dem dia wunt b d kids
DeleteIn my beloved state. What a shame.
ReplyDeleteI pray that Justice will done. It definitely will be, as God is not asleep and he sees and hears it all.
Whether the so called bigshots achieve their aim or whether the case is actually tried through the courts. JUSTICE will be done.
May God comfort her family.
May her soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThis is unfortunate but quite common. It persists because the society condones and even helps hide such incidents under the guise of 'protecting' the family name.
Her in the US, there are quite a few Nigeria men in jail and in permanent counseling because of their abusive nature.
We must band together and make sure this cancer is exposed and eradicated.
May justice be done.
Please ladies study your man well before you take a plunge into marriage with him. Am sure she over looked signs maybe thinking she can change him or marriage will change him. You are better single or divorced than dead.
ReplyDeleteWe ve to act ₪ow is getting too much.RIP nkechi
ReplyDeleteso....!! Women nag and talk 2 much.......u dnt knw why hez having an affair...if is d woman dat hez dating dat givez him money......Women are stupid..and u galz/women talk 2 much...wobish
ReplyDeleteU r such am idiot,a big fool @dt.sori 2 insult u buh sound lik one.so bcos she complained abt her hubsand's infedelity not boyfrnd o,she deserves 2 b killed abi.am sure u r evn d man's frnd or d man himsef.stupid fellow,ode oshi,ewu lik u.thunder fire dt ur mouth,linda post ma comment o
DeleteAre yu insane? Wait a minute,were yu born stupid or yu acquired it ova tym? So bcos a woman nags,dt shud justify murderin her,may yu rot in hell!! I wish i cud see yu,yu for know how far, na dt naggin go kill yu,oniranu,ode oshi..alaiye bajè
DeleteDear if ur mother was beaten to death when u were jst a little boy,I'm sure u wud talk differently.men/women like u shd b sent on exile!rubbish,imagine d stupid comment u left,psheww!!
DeleteWhen are Nigerian women going to learn not to be ashamed to expose abuse by there husbands??? We try to give people the impression that our marriages are perfect when it's not. We don't want people to laugh at us and think we're incapable of making our husbands love us. SPEAK OUT THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENS!!!! Cos if he'll hit you the first time, there's every possibility he'll do it again! Nigerian women, we need to empower ourselves! It's better you leave alive than dead!
ReplyDeleteanother sad wasted life in the hands of a monster. i wonder when people would say it is not by force
ReplyDeletehi linda can you please link me up with an organization that helps women that are facing abuse and violence at home. via my mail zola4ever85@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteMy heart bleeds. What can does of us that do not live in nigeria do to help in this matter. Please let us know. some nigeria men are just animal some times you begin to wonder what kind of up bringing women are giving thier sons. This idea that men are important than women in our society has alot to do with some of their bad behaviour. RIP Nkechi
ReplyDeleteso calous and wicked is the man that he's not worthy of bng a husband talk more of a father. anyways, like adaku said, we nigerian women are always of d opinion dat "the marriage must work and nobody should hear dat its not working". but, as a nigerian woman, i will not die in a worthless marriage that is full of pains. instead, i will leave. marriage is not a do or die affair. Gone are the days of marriage kill me i die.
ReplyDeleteNkechi, may ur soul and dat of ur unborn baby rest in the bossom of d Lord. Amen.
And this for most of us is where it starts and stops.curses and prayers in one breath and we do nothing about it.we have a rare gift in our hands,the power of the electronic media.even if we cant get to enugu,copy the email above and keep forwarding and broadcasting.this is our mouth piece!lets use it wisely.Linda,please contact omotola Jalade Ekeinde,she is ano ambassador of Amnesty Intl and this also falls within their purview.
ReplyDeleteI just had this discussion in my Human Rights class. I am all for women empowerment and education but I think men need role models and mentors as well. These guys don't know what to do or how to behave/act because the society depicts this screwed up image of what a man should be--all powerful, never to be questioned, always right!
ReplyDeleteI am highly disappointed. And as for all you women, especially, here that are blaming or will blame this woman for whatsoever......SHAME ON YOU!!!
i have dumped quite a no of fiance (no 8) cos they all raised their hand on my very light skin face, some i noticed were quite aggressive and i dnt want to end up in an abusive marriage,
ReplyDeletenow my mother keep saying am an ogbanje and that i dnt want to marry. i see all sorts of abuse she undergoes at the hands of my dad,yet she covers it up and claims that she cnt leave the marriage cos of us the children,am 28 and the last born is 12yrs old.
i rather remain single than go thru an abusive marriage like that of my mum.
i am praying that God send me the man after my heart.
AMEN!!
DeleteIt is a well known fact that most Nigerian men are abusive and can kill. As a matter of fact, I even hear men and women from other African countries state how murderous Nigerian men can be and that women should stay away from them. Goodluck to Nigerian women who have no choice but to marry them. Nigerian men don't know how to love, they don't stay faithful, they are emotionally, verbally and physically abusive. I will never encourage my loved ones to marry a Nigerian male. This is my opinion and if you insult me, may badluck follow you throughout this year!
ReplyDeleteTo the fool that says that women say a lot of rubbish if the woman was ur sista i guess u would have given the man a handshake....
ReplyDeleteLet's #Occupy (ja for this 'cos both men & women suffer from Domestic Violence, so it is not one gender affair! ....It must stop!
ReplyDeleteNkechi is one of those enduring women that suffered physical violence from their spouses, and paid with her life. God rest her soul.
ReplyDeleteI hope other women in similar situation can finally find the courage to leave, or better still report their experiences to relevant authorities and agencies.
This has got to stop.
Ogbeni anon 4:43....u r a very stupid pesin. Unless u wer raised a chimpanzee...dose insults r 4 ur mum nd d women close to u. Its bastards like u dt kill their wives al in d name of being a man/husband. Oloshi...oniranu.
ReplyDeletePls Linda..post dz..let d idiot c d comment
Anon 4:43...like seriously, are u for real or are you high on some drug....does she know the reason she cheats? May God have mercy on you and your foul mouth.
ReplyDeletehe must not go unpunished..God will answer him soonest with madness
ReplyDeletethats sad. hopefully the man is caught and brought to face the law
ReplyDeleteThis is so disheartening to hear, so so sad. On the other hand I'm glad that blogs like Linda are rising up and sharing the truth about Domestic violence in Nigeria. Something needs to done. It's not enough to read and move on with life...hmmm
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. He must be brought to justics.
ReplyDeleteI can confirm this is true, was told of this atrocity by a colleague who happens to be late Nkechi's cousin. Heard he even batters her on the streets with whatever he lays his hands on.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting part of the story is that she's the third to die within a month in her family, her uncle and dad were already in the morgue awaiting their burial before she was murdered #disaster
He is cursed!!!
ReplyDeleteHe took 2 lives at once.
What is his excuse???
Such people always have one , no matter how pityful.
Anoda Ibo man!
ReplyDeleteGbenga
I'm dumbfounded tho it isn't new.most of our fathers abused our mothers wch we detested but at d end of d day our brothers abused their wives mre than our fathers did and we end up supporting dm.so d cycle continues,d abuse doesn't stop.D day our mothers place value on us dir daughters and dir son's wives ,ds wld stop.
ReplyDeletechild molestation and domestic violence are all in the same category and culture of silence is what is fanning their embers,its time a protest,campaign and bill is put in place to stop this monsters.as for that man who laid his hand on a pregnant woman,the evil day is coming and very fast too.
ReplyDeleteYou can never study a man enough to know him. Most women stay in an abusive marriage because the society is indifferent and divorcees are somehow disregarded. strict penalties should be melted out to culprits to deter other potential MURDERERS
ReplyDeleteSo Linda, u don't wanna post my comment abi? ...then pay me for my time!@
ReplyDeleteWe need to teach our sons how to interact with women and our daughters how to believe in themselves.
ReplyDeleteWe need to educate our boys that a man is not a man because he can oppress a woman.
We need to educate our girls that they are not incomplete or inferior because they do not have a man.
Marriage will not take you to heaven; it will not promote you at your job; it will not secure you a contract; it will not make you the next Chinua Achebe or Flora Nwapa!
Like Adaku said, please, please, please, speak up if you are being abused! If you die, life will go on without you and your death may be in vain!
Most of dis behaivour stem from d fact some parent dnt give there male child proper home training to behave well in d society and to d opposite sex. Prevention is better than cure,before ur male child brings shame and disgrace to ur household.A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR D WISE
ReplyDeleteNk may u and your unborn child sleep on till the day God will call you up from your bed of inactivity(resurrection) As for the beast in man's flesh may he no no peace till the day he will die in a very painful way
ReplyDeletethe women most times are the reason why domestic violence is still happening in our society today. how can a woman says that if her husband/boyfriend beats her for doing wrong, that he is only correcting her out of love. because that is what most girls/women i know says and when u try to analyze the possible end result to them. they end up saying that, most/other women suffers more/worst from their partners and they are still living happily together. Can u now tell me when domestic violence will end!, when most women have so belittled themselves, that they don't have self-esteem/self-worth/self-value again. it is indeed a difficult issue to tackle.
ReplyDeleteSweep the death of a woman and her unborn child under the carpet? Do people think of their own children when some decisions are being considered or made? I abhor domestic violence in all totality. Women, leave before you are killed. It is better to be abused as being a divorcee or single mother than to be pitied in your grave. Those children you are trying to stay in the marriage for, will suffer more if you are dead.
ReplyDeleteand another one just hours back in block D5 1004. Girls stumbles out of lift all bloody and stabbed, rushed to hospital by good samaritans. suspected perpetrator dies after jumping from 6th floor.
ReplyDeleteHello dRtED,You wrote
ReplyDelete"I can confirm this is true, was told of this atrocity by a colleague who happens to be late Nkechi's cousin"
I am a human rights activist. On receiving the forward about this case, I reached out to contacts in Nigeria who have reported the case to the human rights commission. They need more information about the case. I have been trying to reach Attorney Ike Melchesedech Ezekwu Sr without much luck. If anyone can find him or has more details about the case, please contact the NHRC Enugu at No. 3 Eziagu Street, New Haven, Enugu and/or call them on 08072763456.
Thank you.
We must act to stop abuse of human right whenever possible the next victim maybe you or yours.
My friends reported this case to the human rights commission. But they need more information that only Attorney Ike Melchyesedech Ezekwu Sr could provide.
ReplyDeletePlease help me get this message out to your readers; I am trying to locate Attorney Ike Melchyesedech Ezekwu Sr. or anyone with more information about this case. I will like them to please contact the Nigerian Human Rights Commission in Enugu on No. 3 Eziagu Street, New Haven, Enugu and/or call on 08072763456 to provide more information about the case. Thank you for moving this beyond talks
I can be reached on adajeny@yahoo.com