A medical doctor with the Federal Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Dr. Chibueze Onunkwo, has been allegedly clubbed to death by his landladys daughter-in-law, Mrs. Jacqueline Sekibo.The incident was said to have been the outcome of a disagreement between the deceased wife, Mrs. Chigozie Onunkwo, a chemical engineer, and Sekibo.But the suspect has denied clubbing the deceased to death, claiming that the doctor and his wife were the ones who attacked her after a disagreement with Chigozie.The deceased, who was living at No. 2, Oyo Efan Street, off Palm Street, Calabar, was said to have been killed when he confronted the suspect for assaulting his wife.PUNCH METROgathered that the suspect had a disagreement with the doctors wife, who is nursing a one-and-half-month-old baby, for not redeeming the pledge she made to the suspects church.It was learnt that the doctors wife pledged the sum of N5,000 to the suspects church and had redeemed same.But it was gathered that the suspect continued to harass and accuse her for not paying the money she pledged. This resulted in a fight between the two friends.However, the doctors wife claimed that after redeeming her pledge to the church, the suspect kept on harassing her with the intension of extorting money from her.She said when her husband got wind of the incident; he confronted the suspect to hear her own side of the story. The doctors wife said the suspect was furious and in the process used a sharp object to hit her husband on the head.The doctors wife said, My neighbour (Sekibo) invited me to her church and I made a pledge of N5,000, which I redeemed a week later, but she insisted that I made a pledge of N25,000, which I must redeem. I told her to confirm from a member of her church that I had paid what I pledged. The person later called her to corroborate my claim and asked her to stop harassing me.She later attacked me that I reported her in her church. This led to an argument and she slapped me. I did not tell my husband what she did because Jacquelines (Sekibos) mother-in-law pleaded with me to forgive and forget the issue.Few days later, my husband got to know that she slapped me and was furious over her actions. I told him what happened and begged him that I had already put the issue behind me. Unfortunately, he went outside to do something on the premises and when he saw Sekibo, he asked her what happened in a lighthearted manner. But on his way to our apartment, she hit my husbands head with a club from behind.Immediately she did that, my husband fainted and she sat on top of him and held a broken bottle, insisting that nobody should come to rescue him. It was while I was trying to rescue my husband that she used the bottle to tear my head and also pierced her belly shouting that my husband also stabbed her before he fainted.But the suspect, who is currently recuperating at Mambo Clinic, Calabar, from the injury she sustained during the fracas said, The deceased wife came to me to help to protect her marriage and I took her to my church for prayers. She made a pledge of N25,000 and when I asked her if she had redeemed the pledge; she took offence telling me that she had paid her N5,000 pledge. In the course of the argument, Chigozie, whom I took as my sister, dipped her fingers in my eyes and I slapped her.Few days later, her husband attacked me with a kitchen knife intimidating me for slapping his wife. In the course of the argument, he stabbed me; his wife joined him and in the process, she wanted to stone me, but the stone hit her husband.Meanwhile, the state branch of the Nigeria Medical Association has accused the police of trying to cover up the matter, wondering why the suspect has not yet been arrested.The branch Chairman of NMA, Dr. Ofem Enang, told journalists that while the act was condemnable, the alleged refusal of the police to arrest the suspect was appalling.The NMA strongly condemn the attitude of the police and we ask the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, through the state Commissioner of Police, to investigate the matter and ensure that justice is done, Enang said.Our correspondent learnt that the matter was reported at Mbukpa Police Station, Calabar, before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hogan Bassey, confirmed that the case, which is being treated as murder, was being investigated.He denied that the police had been compromised. Although he admitted that the suspect was being treated at a clinic, the PPRO said she was under police surveillance.
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