Shoemaker burns wife, baby alive over hardship, found dead next day

A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Aba, Abia State, where a local shoemaker reportedly took the lives of his wife and infant child in a shocking act of violence allegedly driven by economic hardship.

According to reports, the man, identified only as Udokwukwu from Onicha Ngwa in Obingwa Local Government Area, had been living in Osisioma with his family.

Neighbors say he had become increasingly distressed due to financial struggles, especially his inability to provide food for his family.

Tensions reportedly escalated when his wife, Mary, confronted him at his shop to ask for money to feed the family—an encounter he allegedly interpreted as disrespectful, compounded by suspicions of infidelity.

Later that night, Udokwukwu returned home with a container of fuel, which he allegedly poured around the apartment while his wife and baby were asleep. He then set the house on fire, resulting in their tragic deaths.

The following day, his own lifeless body was discovered, sparking speculation that he may have been the target of a retaliatory attack by enraged individuals over the killings.

Police have since moved the bodies to a local mortuary, but as of the time of reporting, the Abia State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the incident.