A man, Ikechuwu Atansi has been arrested after he was found with the decomposing body of his pregnant wife, Rita Onyebuchi Atansi in their apartment in Anambra State.
The incident occurred on Thursday, March 26, 2020, at Chimas House Ezimezi, Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of the state.
Rita, 31, got married to her husband in a traditional marriage ceremony on January 20, 2020. Until her death, she worked with Philip Smith Security Limited in Awka alongside her brother, JohnPaul.
Atansi was picked up after policemen from the Central Police Station, Awka broke the door to his room, following complaints from neighbours about a foul odour coming from the apartment.
The spokesman, Anambra State Police Command, SP Haruna Mohammed, said, “On March 26, 2020, a distress call was received by the Central Police Station Awka, by 8.30 am, that an unusual odour was perceived by neighbours, from the room of one Ikechukwu Atansi.
“Following the report, police patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Chucks Nwoke, rushed to the scene, opened the door and discovered a decomposing body of a woman who was later identified as Mrs Rita Uchechi Atansi of Enugwu-Agidi, lying lifeless in the room.
“After careful analysis of the scene by police detectives, marks of violence was observed on the body of the victim and blood spilled all over the room.
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“Consequently, photographs of the victim, as well as the scene, were taken and the corpse removed and deposited at Amaku General hospital mortuary for autopsy after it was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.
“Surprisingly, the deceased husband, one Mr Ikechukwu Atansi, of Umudum village in Isuanochia, was right inside the room with the deceased when the door was opened and could not give a satisfactory account of what actually transpired.
“Instead, the husband claimed that he was injected with a substance by unknown persons who according to him must have killed his wife.
“The husband was subsequently arrested and he is assisting the Police with useful information to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
When the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, John Abang, Atansi reportedly confessed to killing his wife.
Vanguard quoted a source at the Homicides section as saying that the suspect described his actions as a mistake, telling detectives that he did not know what came over him.
Rita’s family has accused her husband of killing her for ritual purposes, appealing to authorities to bring him to justice.