Wife axes husband to death for refusing to eat

If 35-year-old Zenab Agbontine had lived in medieval times, the nickname ‘Zenab, the Axe Queen’ would have fitted her perfectly.  Zenab did the abominable when she allegedly murdered her husband, Egberise Agbontine, in Ubiane Aviele village near Auchi, Edo State with an axe for refusing to eat the food she prepared for him after he returned from work.
Despite his several years in the police force and having seen different murder cases, Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, said he could hardly conceal his shock as he related the incident to Sunday Sun.
Zenab murdered Egberise while he was sleeping. The Axe Queen had allegedly been quarreling with him for more than a week before the incident happened.
On the fateful day, when the husband returned from office, she prepared food for him. Without any foreboding of the murderous thoughts whirling around in the head of his wife, Egebrise took his bath. But when the wife later told him that his food was ready, Egberise was said to have refused to eat the food she prepared.
The chain of events that ultimately led to the tragic death of Egberise began long before the incident Zenab told Sunday Sun in an interview. She said: “I have been having quarrels with my husband for a long time. We tried to settle the matter without success. One day, my husband came back from the office and told me that he was not interested in the marriage anymore.
“I pleaded with him but he refused. I prepared food for him but he refused to eat the food. With annoyance he went to sleep. At about midnight when my husband was asleep I went to the kitchen and I took the axe and cut him on the neck several times, he struggled until he died. It was the devil that used me. I didn’t know what prompted me to kill him but maybe because he said he was not interested in the marriage again.
“The family of my husband should forgive me. I am calling on the elders in the community in Auchi to forgive me because it was ignorance and the devil that used me as I now realize that I didn’t exercise enough patience with my husband.”
Though Zenab has resigned herself to the fate awaiting her after trial, the future of the three children she had with the late Egberise is her primary concern now. Amidst tears, she remarked on the uncertain future of her children: “I know I will face the consequence of my action but the question is, who will take care of my children. I have three children for him. Their father is dead and their mother is on the way to the prison. It is only God that will take care of my children.”
Adebanjo stated that the suspect would be charged to court for murder.