The widow of Mr. Chidi Onwukwe, who was murdered in Port Harcourt in 2021, Mrs. Uchenna Jenna Onwukwe, has told a State High Court hearing the murder case in PortHarcourt, Rivers State, that her late husband was stabbed severally and shot.
Samuel Onwukwe, Promise George and Blessed Onyekachi Nathan, in a suit PHC/667/CR/2022, are standing trial over the murder of Chidi in his Port Harcourt home.
It would be recalled that the court had adjourned to hear the bail application of the three suspects on December 15, 16, 2022 and January 27, 2023 just after they were remanded in a Correctional Centre.
But when the court resumed hearing on January 27, the bail application could not be taken because one of the counsel has not responded to the bail application.
However, the court took witness statement of the complainant in the matter following the prosecution counsel Essien Edet’s notification to the court that a witness was in court for commencement of hearing.
Onwukwe told the court that the alleged killer of her husband used her kitchen knife in carrying out the act.
She said: “On January 27, 2021, I received a phone call from one Amarachi Nduagwu, that my late husband Mr. Chidi John Onwukwe has been stabbed to death. When I got the call I set out for PortHarcourt. On getting to my address in PortHarcourt, I met Samuel Onwukwe (1st defendant), who lives with my husband. When he saw me, he welcomed me with a smile on his face; I became confused whether the call was a prank.
“I entered the house and I did not see my husband. I now asked Mr. Samuel, where he was and he answered that he had been deposited at the military hospital mortuary. I went to the guest room where Samuel said my husband slept that night. On entering the room, I noticed that the room was totally mopped and cleaned.
“I saw my kitchen knife on the table, the knife was also clean. I asked Samuel who kept the knife on the table. He said it was the robbers that took the knife from my kitchen, stabbed my husband and left it.
“I called the policemen that came with us from Elelenwo and showed them the knife. They took the knife. I requested to see the corpse; they took me to the military hospital and I saw his body with several wounds. The mortuary attendant said he was not only stabbed but that he was also shot. They brought out some bullets and gave to the police.”
Justice Sylvester Popnen, adjourned the case to February10, 16 and 17, 2023, for continuation of trial.
