AGBARHO, Delta State — Residents of Agbarho in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have been thrown into shock following the deaths of a couple in an incident that police say is under investigation.
The incident reportedly occurred after a domestic confrontation between the couple, with preliminary accounts alleging that the husband fatally attacked his wife before allegedly ingesting a substance suspected to be the pesticide commonly known as Sniper.
The incident has reportedly left their four children without their parents.
A neighbour who spoke to our correspondent at the couple’s residence on Owiri Street, Agbarho, said the couple had been living separately amid persistent domestic disagreements and reports of physical confrontations.
The neighbour expressed shock over the incident, describing it as a tragic development for the family and the community.
Unconfirmed accounts suggested that disputes over alleged infidelity and ownership of a landed property may have contributed to the disagreement. There were also claims that the property documents had been transferred into the wife’s name and that the property had been sold to a prospective buyer.
However, these claims could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
A man who identified himself as the deceased husband’s elder brother expressed sadness over the deaths, saying he was not fully aware of the circumstances that led to the incident.
He disclosed that the couple had four children, with the eldest, a boy, said to be about 21 years old.
The man declined to disclose his identity and those of the deceased couple.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Delta State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Idafe Bright, did not respond to telephone calls and WhatsApp messages seeking clarification.
Similarly, the Divisional Police Officer of Agbarho Police Station, Mr Michael Akpome, was reportedly unavailable when our correspondent visited the station.
However, a senior police officer, who requested anonymity, confirmed the incident and disclosed that the bodies had been evacuated to a morgue.
The officer added that investigations were ongoing, noting that neither family had lodged a formal complaint with the police as of the time of the inquiry.
The circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths, including the precise sequence of events and the motive behind the incident, remain subject to further investigation.
