Man sets pregnant wife, children ablaze

Posted by admin Headlines Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

A middle-aged man, Mr Ndubuisi Egeonu, yesterday in Enugu attempted to kill his pregnant wife and his two male children when he locked them up in his barbing shop and set the place on fire.

The incident which happened at about 11: am at No. 61 Mount Street, Idaw River in the Awkunanaw area of Enugu was said to have come as a surprise to both the pregnant woman and neighbours.

Egeonu popularly known as Sagay, and who is now on the run, reportedly arrived his shop that morning and requested the wife to escort him to a filling station to buy fuel.

When they returned he reportedly tried to drag one of his female neighbours from a nearby shop, claiming she was indebted to him. The effort proved futile as neighbours intervened.

An eyewitness who described Egeonu as an erratic character that regularly beat his wife narrated how they were attracted to the container which served as his shop.

“It was when the fire started that we rushed to the shop and heard voices inside that we realized what happened. He actually tied his wife’s hands, poured petrol into the shop, locked the shop and put the place on fire.

“We rushed and broke the door but by then the pregnant woman and her children had been severely burnt.”
The trio who sustained serious burn injuries from the inferno were taken to the Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre, Enugu where one of the children who fainted was resuscitated.

Enugu Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Ebere Amaraizu (ASP) who confirmed the report said the suspect had not been arrested as at the filing this report, but assured that investigation into the matter was in progress.wp_posts