Anambra State Police Command has arraigned a 75-year-old man, Albert Eligbue, for allegedly forcing a widow, Patricia Eligbue, to drink water used to bathe the corpse of her husband's nephew.
Eligbue, from Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, was arraigned in the Children, Sexual and Gender- Based Violence Court in Awka, the state capital on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
During court proceedings, the prosecutor, Inspector Onyema Ayogu told the court that the defendant was accused of forcing a widow and sister-in-law to drink water used to wash the corpse of her late brother-in-law as proof of her innocence over his d€ath.
Ayogu said the defendant was facing five charges, including conspiracy to commit felony and assault, an offence punishable under sections 495(a) and 190 of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Vol. 11 revised laws that they placed a cutlass on the deceased body and asked her to walk over it four times of which she did before they washed off the corpse and forced her to drink the water before pouring the remaining on her.
The widow stated that they also accused her of killing the deceased.