Wife death during ‘argument’ wit husband cause tension for Nasarawa, central Nigeria

BBC

Wen Esther Aya Anjugu marry her husband Agga Sunday Yakub 12 years ago, her dream na for dem to grow old togeda and build beta future for dia pikin dem.

But little she sabi say her life go end during one ‘argument’ wey police inside north central Nigeria dey investigate now.

According to Esther family, di 39-year-old and mama of four, die on di 7th of January, 2022 for Sabon Pegi Shabu, for Nasarawa State.

Dem claim say di husband allegedly beat am to death afta dem quarrel on top fixing of window net.

But some eyewitness say Agga Sunday Yakub no touch her (im wife) and dat she just slump wen dem dey quarrel.

Tension bin dey high for di community as Esther family cari cry go police station to demand to kill di husband of dia sister.

Police don arrest di suspect and plan to do autopsy to find out wetin really cause di death of madam Esther.

Wetin really happun

BBC
Di house dat wey lead to di quarrel

Tori be say Esther step-son, Sunday Wilson bin call carpenter to fix dia window net but wen di husband come house, e drive di carpenter comot thinking na di wife call di carpenter since both of dem dey claim ownership of di house.

Sunday Wilson tell BBC Pidgin say im bin don promise im step mama Esther say anytime wen im get moni, im go repair dia house window becos dem bin look nice

So last week Friday, wen im get small moni, e come go call carpenter to come do di job.

By di time di carpenter come house to take di measurement, both im mama and papa dey house.

Afta di carpenter give am cost of wetin to buy, im follow di carpenter go market, buy di material and bring am home for am to start work.

But Wilson come decide to also go work too – e explain give say e no reach one hour wen im papa begin call am.

At first e refuse to pick sake say im dey busy and need to concentrate, but later e come call again and e tell am wia e dey.

Di popsy come come dia cari am go house and na dia e see im step mum for ground and na dat time dem try cari am go hospital wia dem confam say she don die.

Joseph Aya, di elder brother of Esther tell BBC Pidgin say afta Wilson go work, di husband bin come back see how di carpenter dey do di work, e come di para.

E ask di carpenter who ask am to come work for di house and drive am comot.

Im action come provoke di wife and she come tell am why e drive di carpenter wey di pikin pay to fix di net to stop Mosquitoes and flies to enta house.

Di husband come begin threaten say im go kill her if she no leave her house and she say she no go ever leave di house and if she like make im kill her.

And as dem di argue, e come hit di wife and she fall down. Di small daughter wey dey house come go call one of her aunty to epp di mama.

Wen pipo begin gada e come run and so di villagers report di mata to di village head and wen dem catch am, e ask dem to take am to di police station.

Wen BBC Pidgin tok wit some neighbours, some of dem say although dem hear quarrel, dem no see di man beat im wife but di Nasarawa state police say dem still dey investigate dat claim.

BBC

Di quarrel and build up anger

Sunday and im wife since dem marry di allegedly always quarrel and fight, according to di son, di papa and step mama dey always get issue.

And dat di papa dey alledgedly accuse di step mama say she be witch and dat im wan kill am.

Di son further explain give say dem also dey fight on top who get di house and dem don cari demselfs go court sake of di mata.

Di dead woman brother Orver Aya wey also tok wetin di son tok, say sometime di sister go call am around 11-12 for midnight di cry say di husband beat am.

Aya further explain give say di husband abandon all di responsibility of di house to him wife.

E say na di sister dey pay school fees and take care of di pikin dem and on top of dat e dey beat her.

E alleged say di beating bin come increase wen dia mama die and dat before, wen dia mama dey alive, she go call call dem and settle di mata and pray wit dem.

Di brother allege say Esther bin collect loan to buy di land and build. Di house and di man want her to leave so e fit marry anoda wife and di sister refuse.

Family Demand for Justice

BBC

Di family of di woman wey die, cari cry go police station to demand justice for dia sister.

Esther na number six pikin of her family. She bin do NCE and later come go Nasarawa state university, Keffi to do her degree.

Di late woman be teacher for Doka Secondary School and get three female pikin for her husband.

Her brother say her death dey pain dem well well sake of say she dey try epp pipo for di family.

Her death spark tension for di community and dem say dem want goment to give dem justice.

Police Reaction

Police tok-tok pesin for Nasarawa State Ramhan Nansel say di main suspect dey dia custody and dem dey do investigation on top di mata to find out di cause of di death.

Nansel say for now na only autopsy fit unravel di cause of di death. E say di commissioner of police for di state don hold tok wit members of di family to reduce di tension wey bin dey build up for di area.

And dat dem go ensure say di family get justice. E add.