‘Why I killed my brother-in-law’ - Obiageli Oriuwa

The real motive, a 35-year old woman, Mrs Obiageli Oriuwa, allegedly killed a medical doctor, Ikechukwu Oriuwa, who was her husband’s younger brother, has been revealed by the family of the victim.



Obiageli, who has been arrested and is undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, allegedly stabbed the 37-year old medical doctor to death at their family house at 52, Ladega Street, Ajegunle in Apapa, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, during an argument between them on Tuesday.

She was initially detained at Tolu Police Station in Ajegunle before the matter was transferred to Panti.

A member of the victim’s family, Chinedu Oriuwa, alleged that it was not the first time Obiageli attempted to kill Ikechukwu. He said she had asked the doctor and his family to move out of the family house, claiming that the house belongs to her husband since he is the first son of the family.

Chinedu said though the matter was settled between them, Obiageli still continued to nurse animosity against everybody in the house, including their mother who has now travelled abroad.

Chinedu explained that Obiageli’s husband, Edward, who is their elder brother, married the suspect two months after he had married a lady identified as Veronica, against the wish of the family and this always caused quarrel between Obiageli and other members of the family, including the late medical doctor.

Confirming what led to the incident, the mother of three claimed that she did not deliberately set out to kill the medical doctor, but only wanted him and his wife to pack out of the family house.

She said she was entitled to live in the house since her husband is the first son of the family.

The suspect explained that she was always having disagreement with the late Ikechukwu because he did not want his elder brother to marry her.

Obiageli said her husband married her against the wish of his family and because of that there was always quarrel between her and the family including the late Ikechukwu.

When asked how she felt about the incident, Obiageli said she was confused and that if she had known, she would not have married into the family.

It had been reported earlier on Wednesday how Obiageli allegedly killed the medical doctor at their family house.

According to their neighbours, Ikechukwu woke up in the morning, went to a gym for exercise and came back to prepare for work. But on getting home, tenants complained to him that Obiageli switched on her electricity generator in her shop where she sells drinks, locked the shop and went away on Monday night.

They told him there were sparks from the generator around 2 a.m. and almost burnt the building before tenants put out the fire.

It was also gathered that after the complaint that Tuesday morning, Ikechukwu went to Obiageli to advise her not to switch on her electricity generating set in the shop and leave it as that could burn the house.

According to the tenants, Obiageli got angry and attempted to fight Ikechukwu that morning but the tenants separated them.

Obiageli later went to her room and brought a kitchen knife which she allegedly used to stab the victim on his left rib cage. She left the knife there and ran away.

Ikechukwu bled profusely and was rushed to Zollinger Clinic at 20, Taiwo Street, off Tolu Road Apapa, but he died on the way.

The doctor however, certified him dead when he got to the hospital.