Twenty-eight-year-old petty trader, Patience Igwabueze, narrates to MATTHEW OCHEI how her husband, Chuks Igwabueze, was stabbed in the stomach while he was trying to make peace between a shopkeeper and a policeman seeking to buy Alomo Bitters

What is your name and what do you do for a living?

My name is Patience Igwabueze. I am 28 years old. I am a petty trader.

Your husband is hospitalised. What happened to him?

My husband’s name is Chuks Igwabueze. He was stabbed in the stomach by a policeman.

What transpired between him and the policeman?

On January 20, 2022, my husband closed from work and came to my shop, and we all went home. When we got home, my husband said he wanted to go and see one of his friends who was preparing for a burial and at the same time see off two persons who came to visit us.

On his way back home, my husband stopped to buy something at a nearby shop at the Ezekwu Quarters in Ibusa community. Getting to the shop, he met a policeman quarrelling with the wife of the owner of the shop. My husband intervened and asked the policeman what the woman did to warrant being slapped by the policeman. He said whatever the woman did, the policeman ought to have first reported her to the husband instead of descending on the woman. The woman’s husband, who is the owner of the shop, was also there and explained that his wife never insulted the policeman.

The man explained that when the policeman arrived at the shop, he asked for Alomo Bitters and his wife told him that they had closed shop for the day. According to him, the policeman picked a quarrel with his wife as a result of that.

When my husband intervened and tried to stop the policeman from further beating the shop owner’s wife, the policeman pushed him and told him to stay out of it. When my husband further challenged him, the policeman brought out a dagger and stabbed him in the stomach. He twisted and pulled the dagger, bringing out my husband’s intestines. My husband was rushed to hospital immediately.

What is your husband’s condition now?

He is in a very critical condition as we speak. He has undergone a surgical operation but now he is urinating blood. The doctors said they needed to conduct a scan to ascertain the source of the blood but I don’t have the N7,000 for the test. I have borrowed and spent over N200,000 on his treatment since the incident happened. The N200,000 excludes donation from loved ones. Before now, he was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for four days and we paid N50,000 per day. As I speak to you, it has become difficult for us to feed as a family. My children have stopped going to school over inability to pay their fees. Meanwhile, the hospital gave us a bill of almost N500,000 yesterday (Tuesday).

Have you reported the matter to the police?

Yes, we have. We were told that the officer who stabbed my husband had been arrested. They said he was arrested in Ibusa and has been transferred to CID Asaba, but I have not set my eyes on him to know if he is in detention or not.

Have you considered getting a lawyer?

I have taken the case to the Delta State Coalition of Civil Societies and they have written a petition to the Delta State Police Command. But the command said they were not liable; they said they had done their part my arresting the policeman and that we should go and get money for treatment by ourselves. But the CSO is insisting that the police should bear the burden of treatment. They said they would sue if the police fail to take responsibility.

What are your demands?

I want justice for my husband. The police should take responsibility for his treatment, since it was their officer who stabbed my husband. Since the incident happened, we have not heard from the police; no one has come to visit or check on my husband. They have left us to our fate after their officer attempted to kill my husband for nothing. I want justice for my husband and I want the police to take responsibility for his treatment. I am also appealing to good-spirited individuals to help me save my husband’s life.

How many children do you have?

We have five children. The last one is just six months old. As I speak now, my fourth child is sick at home. I don’t have money to take her to hospital or the time to look after her because I am in the hospital with their father. I am tired, I beg good Nigerians to help me to save my husband from dying.

How old is your husband and what is his occupation?

He is 35 years. He is an auto mechanic.

What kind of a person is your husband?

He is a good and hard-working man. He is not a troublesome person.