By Our Correspondent
A grieving husband has denied accusations that he was responsible for his wife’s death, insisting that he is prepared to cooperate with any investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The man, whose wife, Mary Ugwoma, died on September 7, said he was shocked when social media posts by his wife’s niece, Precious, accused him of being responsible for her death and portrayed their marriage as abusive.
According to him, Mary had been battling high blood pressure for about a decade, and her condition reportedly deteriorated suddenly after she returned from church. He described the frantic efforts to obtain medical treatment for her, the doctors’ explanation of what went wrong, and the events leading up to her death.
However, the controversy has extended beyond the medical circumstances surrounding Mary’s passing. The husband also spoke about his troubled relationship with Precious, the history of disagreements involving her and his late wife, and the dispute that emerged while the family was preparing for the burial.
Despite the allegations, he maintained that he had never physically assaulted his wife and challenged anyone with evidence to pursue a formal investigation.
How His Wife Became Seriously Ill
Recounting the events before Mary’s death, the husband said the family had celebrated their New Year festival on September 4. Mary prepared food, and they all prayed together.
The following morning, he left home for work at approximately 5am. After completing his duties, he decided to spend the night away from home because finding transportation on Sundays was difficult and he needed to resume work by 6am the next morning.
He said he spoke with Mary at about 7pm on Saturday, September 5, and she appeared cheerful and sounded perfectly normal during their conversation.
They did not speak again on Sunday morning because she was preparing their children for church. The couple had two children: an 11-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl.
Between 10am and 11am that Sunday, after the church service, a neighbour who was also his friend called to inform him that Mary had collapsed.
According to the information he received, Mary had returned from church, dropped her bag at home and gone to a shop in front of their house to buy snacks. She reportedly ate with some people before her condition suddenly deteriorated.
Because he was away at work, the husband asked which hospital could receive her, explaining that she had experienced similar episodes of collapse in the past.
Emergency Treatment and the Search for Specialist Care
The husband said Mary had a history of hypertension, a condition the family had been managing for approximately 10 years.
He directed those assisting her to take her to Medford Hospital on Katampe Road, Abuja, and informed them that he was on his way.
When he arrived, he assessed her condition and moved her into his vehicle before taking her to Clover Hospital in Wuse 2.
Medical personnel admitted her to the emergency ward and attempted to stabilise her while she remained unconscious. He said her blood pressure, which was around 250, was brought down to approximately 135/95.
However, the hospital staff informed him that she required the attention of a cardiologist. The family subsequently moved her to another hospital for further assessment.
After examining Mary, the cardiologist reportedly advised that she be transferred to the National Hospital because the facility lacked the equipment needed to manage her critical condition.
The family immediately took her there.
At the National Hospital, doctors placed Mary on oxygen and continued efforts to stabilise her. Her temperature also rose again as her condition remained critical.
But the most worrying discovery came after doctors carried out further tests.
What Doctors Discovered After the Brain Scan
According to the husband, medical personnel conducted several investigations, including a CT scan of Mary’s brain.
After reviewing the results, the doctors informed him that blood vessels supplying her brain had ruptured, causing bleeding. They said she required surgery, intensive care and life-support assistance.
The family then began searching for a way to secure the necessary treatment.
However, they were reportedly informed that all the available life-support machines at the National Hospital were occupied.
Although doctors continued trying to stabilise Mary in the emergency ward, the husband said he was advised to look for another hospital with an available space where she could receive the required care.
Garki General Hospital, the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi and a hospital in Gwagwalada were mentioned as possible alternatives. Nevertheless, Mary remained at the National Hospital while the family waited for an opportunity to secure the necessary support.
When a space eventually became available, the doctors reportedly warned that her chances of survival were uncertain, estimating them at 50 per cent.
Despite the medical team’s efforts, her condition failed to improve.
Mary died on September 7, leaving her husband and their two children behind.
Did He Inform His Wife’s Family?
The husband said he contacted Mary’s elder brother shortly after taking her to the hospital, informing him that she was seriously ill and receiving treatment at the National Hospital.
He also called her elder sister, who lives around Kurudu, Dagbana, in Abuja. The sister subsequently informed her husband, who lives in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Although the man wanted to travel to Abuja, the husband said he advised him to wait because it was already late in the evening.
Mary’s sister arrived at the hospital at approximately 10am the following day and remained with the family.
The husband also said he continued updating Mary’s brother about her deteriorating condition. At about 3am, he called him again after doctors communicated the seriousness of the situation and the uncertain prospect of survival.
He later urged the brother to come to Abuja, but the man could not arrive before Mary died.
The husband’s account is that he made efforts to keep his wife’s relatives informed throughout the medical emergency.
Why Does He Believe Precious Accused Him?
Asked why he thought his wife’s niece had accused him of causing Mary’s death, the husband said he believed Precious herself knew the reasons behind her actions.
He traced their troubled relationship to approximately 10 or 11 years ago, when Mary was still attending university.
According to him, Mary had already given birth to their first child and needed assistance caring for the baby so she could concentrate on her studies.
He said Mary discussed the matter with her mother, who subsequently contacted him about finding someone to help with childcare. Precious was recommended for the role and, at the time, was approximately 13 or 14 years old.
She eventually moved into their home.
However, the husband claimed that difficulties emerged after two or three months. He said Precious began having disagreements with Mary and their neighbours, including the wife of his younger brother.
He declined to disclose some of the other issues that arose but maintained that the situation became difficult enough for him to return Precious to her family.
By then, Mary was still pursuing her education. She graduated in 2020, while their son, who was less than a year old when Precious first came to stay with them, is now 11.
The husband said Precious later reconciled with Mary, and their relationship as aunt and niece resumed.
Some time afterwards, Precious had a daughter and brought the child to their home, where she lived and attended school alongside the couple’s children.
The husband said he was therefore surprised that Precious was now making serious accusations against him.
Another Disagreement Involving Precious and Her Daughter
The husband suggested that a more recent disagreement might have contributed to the accusations, although he did not provide independent evidence establishing a connection between the two events.
He said he had heard information about Precious that concerned him after she brought her daughter to his home.
According to him, he confronted her and asked her to come and take the child away. Precious reportedly denied the claims, and he gave her 24 hours to respond.
When he attempted to contact her again, he said she stopped answering his calls.
Instead, Precious reportedly sent her mother to collect the girl during the school holidays. Her mother travelled from the village, took the child to Benin and stayed with her there.
The husband said that within six months, or possibly less, Precious returned the child to his home.
He refused to accept the arrangement this time, explaining that he had initially agreed to care for the girl because Precious said she wanted someone to provide support and fatherly guidance for her daughter.
According to his account, Precious left the child with him and went away. After two or three days, he contacted her mother, who reportedly told him that Precious had gone to see her boyfriend.
He said he threatened to report the matter to the police, prompting the girl’s grandmother to contact her mother.
Precious eventually returned. At another point, she came to take her daughter away, but the child reportedly told Mary that she did not want to leave.
The husband said the girl’s plea moved him, and he allowed her to remain.
He subsequently discussed the arrangement with the child’s grandmother and agreed to enrol her in school alongside his own children, provided the grandmother would pay the school fees.
She reportedly accepted the arrangement, and he enrolled the girl the following day.
The husband maintained that he could not understand why Precious was now accusing him of causing his wife’s death.
However, these are his recollections of the family dispute. They do not, by themselves, establish why Precious made the accusations.
His Reaction to the Social Media Posts
The husband said he initially knew nothing about the videos circulating online because he was overwhelmed by calls following Mary’s death.
Several people contacted him to ask whether he had seen the posts, but he said he had not checked social media.
Eventually, someone forwarded the videos to his WhatsApp account.
After watching them, he contacted his wife’s brother-in-law in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and sent him the material.
He said the relative had recently returned from a technical conference and was equally surprised by what he saw.
The husband asked whether the family supported Precious’s actions. According to him, the relative said they did not.
He then suggested that the family issue a statement addressing the controversy. The relative reportedly agreed but explained that his health was poor and he needed time.
When the husband contacted him again, he said the relative had spoken with Precious. However, she reportedly told him to allow her to proceed as she wished and that she was prepared to accept responsibility for her actions.
The husband said he had not personally confronted Precious about the accusations.
He Denies Allegations of Abus
Responding to claims that his marriage to Mary was characterised by abuse, the husband disputed the suggestion that Precious had lived with them as a family for an extended period.
He said Mary had lived with Precious in Nasarawa while he remained in Abuja, visiting them mainly at weekends.
According to him, Precious stayed with Mary for approximately three months before disagreements developed and she left.
He said that when the family informed him of the situation, he made efforts to locate Precious, eventually taking her back to the village.
He maintained that the decision was made because her continued presence was creating difficulties within the neighbourhood.
The husband also firmly denied ever physically assaulting Mary.
He acknowledged that disagreements occurred during their marriage, as can happen between couples with differing opinions. However, he insisted that they resolved their differences through discussion and that their arguments never became physical confrontations.
These denials represent the husband’s account. The allegations against him have not been independently established in the information provided.
Is the Matter Before the Police?
The husband said he was unaware of any formal complaint against him.
He maintained that he was willing to answer questions and cooperate with investigators if anyone presented evidence warranting an inquiry.
He said he had nothing to fear from an investigation and believed anyone with relevant information should be free to report the matter to the appropriate authorities.
However, he argued that he did not see it as his responsibility to initiate a police complaint against himself while he was still mourning his wife and making arrangements for her burial.
He also said Mary’s elder brother had advised him to remain calm after the social media posts emerged.
According to the husband, the relative urged him not to engage Precious publicly and said that she had also refused to heed his advice.
The husband said many people had visited his home to console him since Mary’s death. His siblings, however, began responding to the online accusations after seeing the posts.
He maintained that he had personally chosen not to argue with Precious or contact her about the matter.
Burial Disagreement Adds to the Family’s Ordeal
Beyond the accusations, the husband said the controversy had complicated arrangements for Mary’s burial.
He explained that his immediate priority was to ensure that his wife was laid to rest and that he had no immediate plans to take legal action against Precious.
According to him, the family had initially planned to hold a wake-keep on a Tuesday, but some of Mary’s relatives objected to proceeding with the burial arrangements.
He travelled to his village to consult elders, who eventually discussed a proposed burial date with him.
The husband explained that, according to the customs of the Igede people, a husband does not have the sole authority to determine his wife’s burial date. He can suggest a date, but her family must agree before the final arrangements are settled.
He said he met with Mary’s relatives, who raised concerns based on the statements Precious had made. He gave them his account of the events, and they subsequently agreed on October 1 and 2 for the burial.
The husband said his initial proposal was for the burial to take place on September 25 and 26 because those dates would have been easier to accommodate around his work schedule.
However, the family declined, explaining that relatives travelling from distant locations needed more time to prepare.
He said the elders also requested wine as part of the customary burial arrangements, which his family provided.
He accepted the final dates, explaining that the family elders had the authority to make the decision.
The husband added that he did not know whether Precious was aware of the burial arrangements or whether she was in Lagos or Benin when the accusations began circulating.
What Does the Medical Report Say?
One of the most significant issues in the case is the medical explanation provided for Mary’s death.
The husband said the National Hospital had given him a medical report serving as a cover note, while the formal death certificate was expected to be issued when her body was released from the mortuary.
He said the report listed the cause of death as “cardiopulmonary arrest and massive pontine haemorrhage.”
A pontine haemorrhage is bleeding in the pons, a part of the brainstem involved in several essential functions, including breathing and consciousness. Cardiopulmonary arrest refers to the cessation of effective heart and lung function.
According to the husband, doctors explained that Mary’s dangerously elevated blood pressure had contributed to the bleeding discovered during the CT scan.
He said her blood pressure had reached approximately 250, an extremely high reading that required urgent medical attention.
Mary had reportedly been receiving treatment for hypertension for about 10 years before her death.
The husband also disclosed that she celebrated her 40th birthday on July 10, just under two months before she died.
Although he described the medical findings as evidence supporting his account of what happened, the full medical report has not been independently examined in the information available here. A medical finding about the cause of death does not, on its own, determine every circumstance surrounding the death or establish whether another person was involved.
What Happens Next?
The husband has maintained that he did not kill Mary, denied physically abusing her and expressed readiness to cooperate with any investigation.
His account centres on her history of hypertension, the emergency treatment she received, the doctors’ reported findings and the efforts made to obtain specialist care before she died.
At the same time, Precious’s accusations have raised questions that cannot be conclusively answered through the husband’s interview alone.
The key issues remain whether a formal complaint has been filed, whether the relevant authorities will investigate the allegations, and whether independent evidence will support or contradict either account.
For now, the husband says his attention is on Mary’s burial and the welfare of their two children.
Until the allegations are investigated and the available evidence assessed, the claims against him should not be treated as proven facts. Equally, his denial should not be taken as a substitute for an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Mary’s death.
(Source: Punch Newspapers)
