Matilda Omonaiye/
A housewife in Makurdi, Benue State, allegedly committed suicide last night after killing her husband and three children.
According to the police, a preliminary investigation showed that the woman had a fight with her husband, Mr Nicholas Adetsav, a staff of Makurdi Local Government Council before the incident occurred.
Benue police spokesman, Mr Moses Yamu told reporters today: “From the information available to us, the woman has been having issues with her husband which might have culminated into this.”
Yamu said that the couple, who lived at Vandeikya Street, were both employed by Makurdi Local Government Council.
“They have been having issues; just yesterday (Friday), the woman was seen with a pestle trying to smash her husband’s car. No one knows the cause of their frequent fights.”
Yamu said that police personnel sent to the house found the man foaming in the mouth, and the three children already dead, while the woman, also dead, was found holding a knife in her hands.
“The incident happened at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. From what we have gathered, the couple fight on a daily basis.”
Yamu said that investigation had begun toward determining the reasons for the actions, while the corpses had been deposited at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Hospital, Makurdi.
The Chairman, Makurdi Local Government Council, Mrs Akange Audu, confirmed that the couple were employees of the local government council.
“The husband worked in the Department of Finance while his wife worked with the Department of Agriculture,” she said.
She also confirmed that the couple “were always fighting”, adding that the woman had warned neighbours to stay off their fights.
Neighbours said that the couple had been fighting since Friday afternoon, but no one appeared sure of the cause of their fights.
One of the neighbours told reporters that she stopped intervening on their quarrels when Mrs Adetsav threatened her with a knife during one of such interventions.
