Man Revealed How Wife Poisoned Food

As part of the move to make case for divorce, Engr. Samuel Onwulali has told the court how his estranged wife poisoned his food 19 years ago.

Engr. Onwulali recounted his ordeal during cross examination on Wednesday in a Port Harcourt High Court presided by Justice Boma Depiri.

He told the court that based on a tip-off by his wife’s younger sister who was living with them at that time, he became suspicious, adding that, “on one occasion  I saw her mix the charms with my food because she came back from travel and asked them to boil water for garri.

Though he claimed to have refused the meal, Onwulali alleged that his suspicion was fuelled more when on another occasion his wife flogged their two -year old daughter when she attempted to eat with him.

He alleged that before then, “she had stopped eating together with me and I was wondering what could make her to do that”.

When he was further queried by the petitioner’s counsel, D.D. George to substantiate his claim, Onwulali said after the incident,  he got the charms and took it to the village as he reported the matter to his parents and that of his wife.

The engineer denied that he craftily abandoned his wife and children following his posting to Lagos”, I didn’t feel safe to eat her food because she was putting charms into it”.

He claimed that at the time his transfer came, he left his two daughters and other relatives with the wife here in Port Harcourt.

But the wife’s lawyer had contended that Onwulali had abandoned the family with the cover of his transfer to Lagos, noting that their problem had begun before the transfer.

In suit PHC/79D/2003, Mrs Rita Onwulali had rejected her husband’s plea for divorce.

At an earlier hearing on the matter this year, Mrs. Onwulali alleged that her estranged husband had eloped with her house maid, who now has five children for him.

Since May 1992 ,the couple had been living separately as the wife has custody of their two daughters.

A new twist occurred last Wednesday, when Mrs Onwulali tendered a dud cheque of N15,000 which her husband had given for the children’s upkeep.

Engr. Onwulali who denied issuing a dud cheque to the wife said he pays for the children’s upkeep based on an agreement brokered by the social welfare unit.

The court however admitted the cheque as exhibit 1 as the matter was adjourned for further hearing on 12th, 18th and 21st of April 2011.