Nigerian who butchered his spouse to dying by hanging for alleged infidelity and unexplained being pregnant

Nkereuwem Emah, a 52-year-old man, was sentenced to death by hanging for killing his pregnant wife, whom he accused of infidelity.

Emah became known to have killed his wife on February 12, 2018 while she was sleeping at their apartment in Mbiabam, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, reports The PUNCH.

Judge Bassey Nkanang, who found him guilty of murder, on Friday convicted Emah, the father of five from Mbiabam in Ibiono Ibom Region.

The accused was charged on December 6, 2018, the accused pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, contrary to Section 326(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Volume 2, Laws of the Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, 2000

Prosecutors called three witnesses, including a 10-year-old son of the deceased, Christian Sylvanus Etim, who recounted how his father committed the crime against his mother.

Mr Etim said: “On 2.12.2018 my father (the accused person) is a mechanic with the water board. On that day he used a match at night. My mother was asleep. He used it and cut my mother. My mother died. The incident happened in the house where we all lived. The village chief called the police in Itam. The police came and invited me to accompany them to the train station.”

The son’s testimony was corroborated by his father, the accused, who previously confessed to police when he was arrested following the incident.

“On December 2nd, 2018 around 4:30 a.m. I (sic) call my wife to ask her how she got pregnant and who is responsible for it. She refused to answer me and I got (sic) angry.

“I took the big match and cut her right hand. She wanted to run away, I cut her throat again and she fell (sic). I’ve been informed by people in our home that a certain Michael Udoh always sleeps with her when I leave home for work,” Emah said in his out-of-court statement, which will be presented to the court.

At the sentencing hearing, which lasted nearly an hour on Friday, the trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, described the act as “a callous, inexplicable and inexcusable disparagement of the institution of marriage.”

“The accused, Nkereuwem Etim Emah, is hereby sentenced to death. In accordance with Section 339(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, Cap 39, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, the court’s verdict against you, Nkereuwem Etim Emah, is to be hanged by the neck until dead and allowed Lord have mercy on you soul,” ruled the court.