On Friday, a Benue State Chief Magistrates’ Court ordered Matthew Bem to be placed in a correctional facility in Makurdi for allegedly killing his wife, Mrs Mngusonum Bem.
The 42-year-old farmer from Korinya Settlement in Benue’s Konshisha Local Government Area was charged with culpable homicide.
However, the Chief Magistrate, Mr T.K. Atta, refused to hear his appeal due to a lack of jurisdiction.
Atta postponed the matter to December 20, 2023, for additional consideration.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Godwin Ato, told the court that the matter was moved from the Divisional Police Headquarter, Tse-Agberagba, via a letter dated Oct. 26, 2023.
According to the letter, on October 24, 2023, information was received from the officer-in-charge of Korinya Police Station that a man had murdered his wife.
According to the letter, on the same fatal day, Oct. 24, the defendant and his 30-year-old wife got into a fight, and during the struggle, the defendant picked up a knife and stabbed his wife, who bled to death on the spot.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant was caught during a police inquiry and voluntarily confessed to the crime.
He said the offense violated Section 222 of the Benue penal code law of 2004.