Tragedy in Aba: Shoemaker Burns Family Alive Amid Hardship and Marital Strife

 

A devastating tragedy has rocked the Osisioma community in Aba, Abia State, after a shoemaker reportedly ended the lives of his wife and baby before dying under mysterious circumstances.

Identified only as Udokwukwu, a native of Onicha Ngwa in Obingwa Local Government Area but residing in Aba, the man had been grappling with deepening financial troubles. Residents say he had become increasingly distressed over his inability to meet the basic needs of his household. Tensions reportedly reached a boiling point when his wife, Mary, visited his shop to request money for food — a request he could not fulfill.

Eyewitness accounts suggest that what might have begun as a desperate conversation spiraled into a fatal confrontation. Sources allege that the man accused his wife of infidelity, a claim that worsened an already fragile emotional state. After the confrontation, he returned home that night with a can of fuel.

While Mary and their infant child lay asleep, Udokwukwu allegedly doused the room in petrol and set it ablaze. Flames engulfed the apartment, trapping the mother and child inside. Both perished in the fire.

The horror did not end there. The following day, Udokwukwu himself was found dead under circumstances that remain unclear. His body was discovered by family members, who suspect he may have been the target of a reprisal attack. The perpetrators, if any, remain unidentified, and no arrests have been made as of press time.

The shocking sequence of events has left the local community stunned. Neighbors described the man as quiet but visibly overwhelmed in recent weeks. Many are struggling to come to terms with how economic hardship and emotional turmoil led to such a grim outcome.

Police authorities have moved the bodies to a local mortuary while investigations continue. The Abia State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the killings, leaving many unanswered questions and a neighborhood in mourning.

What should have been an ordinary week in Aba has now become a time of reflection on the silent struggles that some residents face behind closed doors — and the unthinkable actions they might take when hope runs out.