It was a gloomy day last Saturday, as friends and family of 31-year old Deborah Ukamaka Johnson (Nee Odoemelam) paid their last respect at her funeral in Lagos.
According to reports, she was allegedly beaten to death by her husband in Lagos, years after she told a friend that domestic violence was a form of trial and she had conquered it.
The deceased got married to her heartthrob, Akwa-Ibom State-born Godspower Johnson Itohowo in December of 2014 while still in school against the advise of her parents and siblings. Reports from her siblings have it that the marriage had been abusive right from the very start. The first sign that the marriage was a disaster, according to her elder sister, Chineye Adogah, was when the deceased was asked to withdraw from Optometry at 500 Level.
According to her immediate elder sister, Chinonso Pope, she had to go and take the late Johnson to her house on request from concerned neighbours who were worried by the amount of beating she was receiving from her husband, Godspower Johnson.
She recalled that Johnson had been abusing the deceased for long. There was a time, she said, when their neighbour called her to come and take her sister home, because her husband had thrown her out of the house, naked.
“On the 10th of March, he threw her things out and she ran to my place. After two days of staying at my place, her husband started calling her to return home.” She however refused until her in-laws joined in the plea – albeit, against her sister’s counsel.
However, on the 21st of March, 2019, she was beaten till she couldn’t move her limbs again simply because she turned down his request for sex. She was later rushed to LASUTH, where she was stabilized and then transfered to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, where it was discovered that she had a broken spine and multiple fractures on her neck.
Deborah gave up the ghost some days later and the husband has since been charged to court for murder and is being remanded in prison.
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana confirmed report of the case saying, “We have carried out our investigation on the matter and we have sent it to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice. Once the advice is out, we will take the next line of action”
He also said, “The suspect has been charged to court for murder and is being remanded in prison.”.
