Deadly affair: Lady attacked with acid after rejecting marriage proposal

 When Miss Ogochukwu Nwosu, 35, was leaving her residence on October 6, 2016, she didn’t know that danger was lurking around.

Ogochukwu, who is presently battling to live at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), was bathed with acid at Ilasamaja bus stop, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

The victim was attacked by an unknown man. The man was said to have jumped down from a motorbike, doused Ogochukwu with acid and jumped back on the motorcycle.

The incident was reported to the police. Investigation led to the arrest of Mr. Chidi Ubochianjonjo and his wife, Nkiru.

The couple is presently in police custody for allegedly pouring acid on Ogochukwu over a love affair related issue. They have also denied the allegation.

One of the counsels to Ogochukwu, on the platform of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), M.N. Obiagbaoso, attributed the travails of her client to her refusal to marry Ubochianjonjo, who had earlier proposed.

Obiagbaoso recounted: “Ogochukwu and Ubochianjonjo had been relating well for some time. She was about to start a relationship with him when she discovered he is married and has children. She told him she wouldn’t marry him unless he gets permission from his wife. The man went to his wife, Nkiru, to seek permission to marry Ogochukwu. The wife later started sending threatening text and WhatsApp messages to Ogochukwu. She said our client should leave her husband.

“Another man later came to ask for Ogochukwu’s hands in marriage. While they were planning for the marriage, Ubochianjonjo said Ogochukwu would get married only over his dead body. He said he wouldn’t allow her to get married to another man. Three days before the acid incident, Ubochianjonjo went to her neighbourhood with two men. Ogochukwu’s relatives challenged him. He told them that he was in the neighbourhood for personal business.”

Obiagbaoso said that on the day the acid was poured on Ogochukwu, she was returning from work. She was standing at Ilasamaja bus stop, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, waiting for bus, when two men on a motorcycle suddenly appeared from nowhere.

One of them tossed a liquid at her and jumped on the motorcycle; they zoomed off.

The liquid was acid; Ogochukwu fell to the ground and screamed in pains. She was assisted by sympathisers.

Obiagbaoso said: “The next day, Nkiru called and told her that the acid bath was the beginning of her pains.”

Ogochukwu’s brother, Mr. Peter Nwosu, said that since the incident, his sister has become a shadow of herself. He said that the incident plunged the family into sorrow and truncated Ogochukwu’s marriage plans.

Peter said: “My sister is presently battling to live. The first day my mother saw her after the acid bath, she fainted. My mother had to be on hospital admission for a month. Ogochukwu face and body have changed. In fact, we don’t allow her to look at a mirror. If she sees her image, she might commit suicide. I don’t understand why a man would pour acid on a lady just because she refused to marry him. Ubochianjonjo approached my sister for marriage. She refused on the grounds that he already has a wife and children. He and his wife started threatening my sister with text and WhatsApp messages and telephone calls. The next thing was acid bath.”

Peter said that he was surprised when Nkiru started calling Ogochukwu, threatening her. On one of the days that Nkiru called, Peter picked.

Peter recalled: “She said that if my sister survived, she wouldn’t try to date another woman’s husband next time. In fact, there are many threatening text and WhatsApp messages from Ubochianjonjo and Nkiru.”

He continued: “We’re doing everything possible to save her. She has done seven surgeries in the last six months. The last surgery was carried out last Monday. I have sold my two cars and other properties to foot her medical bills, which is running to millions of naira. Each surgery carried out cost N180, 000 in addition to about 56 injections. Each of the injection costs N11, 000.”

Ubochianjonjo 39 and Nkiru 40, last Wednesday appeared before the Magistrate Court 15 in Lagos State, for allegedly bathing Ogochukwu with acid.

According to charge No: 0/18/2017, Chidi Ubochianjonjo and Nkiru Ubochianjonjo, were arraigned on a four-count charge.

Count I states: “That you, Chidi Ubochianjonjo and Nkiru Ubochianjonjo on or about the 6th of October, 2016, at Ilasamaja bus stop, Ilasamaja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire with others at large to commit felony to wit, attempted murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411, Cap C17 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Count II reads: “That you Chidi Ubochianjonjo and Nkiru Ubochianjonjo and others at large on or about the stated date and time within the above mentioned Magistrate District did attempt to murder one Ogochukwu Nwosu by bathing her with substances suspected to be acid and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 230, Cap C17 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

Count III states: “That you Nkiru Ubochianjonjo in the month of October 7, 2016, did threatened to kill one Ogochukwu Nwosu by way of Short Message Service (SMS) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 232, Cap C17 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

Count IV says: “That you Chidi Ubochianjonjo and Nkiru Ubochianjonjo on or about same date and time within the aforementioned Magistrate District did commit a felony by unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm to one Ogochukwu Nwosu and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 245, Cap C17 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

The defendants, who were called into the dock pleaded not guilty to the four count charge. But despite the plea by their lawyer, Mr. Ezhemaze, that the court should grant them bail, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs. J.O.A. Adepoju, denied the defendants bail and adjourned the matter to April 11, 2017 for Directorate of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) advice.  

Speaking to New Telegraph after the Magistrates’ ruling, the four lawyers watching brief for the complainant, Anthony Obi, Louis Nwaugbala, Adeyinka Oriabolu and M.N. Obiagboso, commended the Magistrate’s ruling.

The lead counsel, Nwaugbala, said that facts available showed that the defenders and others at large were responsible for the acid bath on Ogochukwu.

Nwaugbala said: “The evidence gathered so far by the police are all pointing mathematically to the fact that the defenders are responsible for the acid bath on the victim.”

Efforts to get reactions from the Ubochianjonjos on the several charges levied against them proved abortive. The couple’s lawyer, Mr. Ezhemaze, said he wouldn’t like to speak on the matter since it has been referred to the DPP.