Controversy is trailing the sudden death of mother of three, late Mrs Calista Ojinnaka, who lived at No. 2 Uzodinma street, Fegge, Onitsha, Anambra State.
While the husband, Mr. John Ojinnaka claimed the wife hung herself in their two-room apartment, residents and neighbours have a different idea, as they suspect foul play.
Sympathisers and residents of the area who trooped to see the suicide scene were not convinced, believing the woman may have been murdered.
A resident who would not want his name in print said, “it is not true that the woman committed suicide, her husband should tell the world what happened, because if you look at the corpse from the rope that was tied from her neck to the ceiling fan, you find out that the rope was not tight.
“Again, she was almost kneeling down as her two legs were touching the floor and the stool she stood on to hang herself was by her legs.
“The corpse was also supposed to be dangling in the air and the stool
kicked away if she had committed the suicide. The tongue should also conspicously seen out from her mouth.”
Another resident who identified herself as Mrs Ochonga, said, “this is a clear case of murder, the husband must be held responsible for the murder until proven otherwise since elements of suicide cannot not be established when you look at the corpse.
“She was just murdered and they tied rope to her neck and connected it to the ceiling fan. They could not be able to lift the corpse to dangle to assist them cover up their crime.”
In the words of a co-tenant, “my brother, the husband is funny to claim that he went to the street to buy what the family will eat that Sunday morning and on return just few minutes later, saw the corpse of a wife she discussed with few minutes ego, hanging on the ceiling fan and not dangling.”
Also a youth leader in the Area who pleaded anonymity expressed possibility that if the wife is spiritually tormented as
the man claimed, she could have become a problem and as such, a possible motive for murder.
“The claim by the husband that occasionally she is being spiritually tormented is unverifiable because we have not for one day seen her behaving abnormally “
In his defence when sympathisers gathered, the husband said, “I woke up this morning in our two-room apartment where I was with my wife, Calista Ojinnaka, and both of us discussed on how to buy things to eat.
“Already my wife has some spiritual issues and not sound for sometime now. So I went to buy things to eat.
When i came back, I went straight to the room and discovered the lifeless body of my wife hanging on a ceiling fan inside our room.”
Some residents reportedly began to argue with him but on sensing danger, the man immediately left to the Fegge Police station where he lodged the complaint and was subsequently detained.
A police team led by the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO,1, later
visited the scene and took the corpse to Toronto hospital morque,
Upper Iweka axis, where it was deposited.
Confirming the incident, the Fegge Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mr
Rabiu Garba, (CSP) hinted that, “the husband is being detained”, but declined further comment.
