Mrs Priscilla Otti, Wife of the Governor of Abia State has promised to take immediate action against one Lawrence Uzor who allegedly removed his wife’s eyes for ritual purposes. The First Lady also pledged to secure medical treatment and protection for Amarachi Uzor, the wife of the suspect.
At the Federal Medical Centre, where the victims are receiving treatment, Mrs. Otti expressed deep sorrow over the case, noting it came shortly after she signed a gender-based violence compact with the UNFPA. She described the incident as a severe case of violence and attempted murder and pledged to take immediate action to ensure Mrs. Lawrence receives proper care and protection.
Mrs. Otti also promised that the state's GBV response team would take appropriate measures and praised the Umueze Ibeku community for their prompt support and response.
Lawrence Uzor, an aluminum worker from Umuchieze in Bende LGA, but residing in Adiele Estate, Umueze Ibeku, Umuahia North, used a knife to remove his wife's eyes while she was asleep around 1 a.m.
Madam Lovejane Nwaiwu, the couple’s landlady, who was also treated at the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia for injuries inflicted by the man mentioned that her husband, who works and lives elsewhere, was not present during the incident.
She recounted, "Around 10 p.m. on Saturday, I heard the man shouting 'Odogwu, Odogwu'. I was concerned because I had never heard them pray like that before.'"
"I began praying for them, and after that, I couldn't sleep and was restless until around midnight. At about 1 a.m., the wife, a 38-year-old teacher at a leading private school in Umuahia, began screaming, 'Mummy, I have been killed.' I opened my door, looked through their bedroom window, and saw the man holding a knife, pressing down on her", Madam Nwaiwu added.
While still narrating the incident, the Landlady said she began knocking on her neighbors' gates and also called out to the people of Umueze, but no one responded.
"After trying in vain to get anyone's attention, I went to their living room door and started knocking. When the man opened the door with the knife in hand, he attempted to strike me on the head. I blocked the blow with my hand, but he still managed to cut my hand and slash at my face, resulting in a cut on my mouth and losing some of my upper teeth."
"I fled into my house and locked the door, while he went outside, locked our gate, and went to a neighbor’s house to boast that he had killed both his wife and his landlord's wife. While I was in my room, I called my mother and daughter, who then reached out to a church neighbor and the community vigilante team. They quickly arrived at the neighbor's house and detained him."
The victim’s sister, Ijeoma Okpokiri, and her cousin, Chioma Okpokiri, both from Emede Ibeku, appealed to the Inspector General of Police, the government, and especially Abia State Governor Alex Otti, to investigate the case and assist in their sister’s recovery.
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Earlier, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi, the Medical Director of FMC Umuahia, represented by Director of Medical Services Mrs. Aisha Onyemaobi, briefed Mrs. Otti on the situation. He explained that Mrs. Lawrence, 38, was deeply asleep when her husband awakened her and began attacking her. He noted that there was an attempt to gouge out her eyes and that she suffered genital mutilation. The suspect is currently in custody. Onyemaobi also shared that Mrs. Lawrence is expected to make good progress in her recovery.
