A 38-year-old man, John Christopher, who allegedly killed his wife in Edo State has claimed that she insulted him after refusing to lend him money to pay a debt.
According to police report Mr Isoken Christopher, the father of three was arrested for allegedly beating his wife to death after she refused to lend him N2,000.
The suspect, a waste management truck driver, who is described as a chain smoker and drunk by the eldest of his three children, Augustine, killed the 30-year-old businesswoman at their home located at No. 1, Agbontaen Street beside Ebvareke Secondary School, off Agboniro Street, Uselu, Benin City, on Saturday night, June 26.
The woman was said to have collapsed and died after John used his trouser’s belt to smack her over a TV remote control.
The problem first started after the mother of three refused to lend her husband N1,500 to pay off his debt in his neighbourhood.
Speaking with Standard Gazette crime correspondent, Festus Alenkhe, the suspect, who is from Kokori in Delta state, described his wife as “selfish and rude” for refusing to give him the money.
"I am a waste management truck driver in Benin city and have been married to my wife for thirteen years now. We have three children, and the first child is twelve,' the suspect said.
"On the 26th day of June 2021, l returned from work around 8 pm and begged my wife to give me the sum of N1,500 so l can add my N500 to make it N2,000 to pay a local debt in the neighbourhood.”
"But my wife refused, and the next thing I saw was that she collected Television remote to change the TV channel. So I stopped her, and she started insulting me. That was how I used my trouser belt to hit her, and she collapsed. The neighbour rushed her to the hospital where she died." he added.
It was learnt that John attempted to run after realizing his wife had died but was apprehended by the residents.
He was then handed over to the police at Textile Mill road in Benin city, who handed him over to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Edo state police command for further investigation.
Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, SP Bello Kontongs assured that the man would be charged to court for murder.
He called for calm from the deceased’s family, adding that a diligent investigation would be carried out.
The body of the deceased, Mrs Christopher, who is a petty trader, has been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
