Moses Ukoh, husband of the late 40-year-old Mary Ugwoma, has denied allegations that he was responsible for her death, insisting that she suffered a medical emergency after years of managing hypertension.

In an interview with Saturday Punch, Ukoh recounted how his wife collapsed after returning from church in Abuja, the efforts to secure treatment and her death on September 7. He also denied claims that he physically abused her during their marriage, saying he was ready to cooperate with any investigation.

The controversy followed allegations reportedly made online by Mary’s niece, Precious, who questioned the circumstances surrounding her aunt’s death. Ukoh rejected the claims and suggested they might be connected to past family disagreements, although he acknowledged that he could not establish the motive behind them.

According to Ukoh, he left home early on Saturday for work and stayed overnight because of transportation difficulties. He said he spoke with Mary by phone at about 7 p.m. and she appeared to be fine.

A neighbour called him between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. the following day to report that Mary had collapsed shortly after returning from church. He was told she had dropped her bag, bought snacks from a nearby shop and eaten before suddenly falling ill.

Ukoh said he asked neighbours to take her to Medford Hospital on Katampe Road, Abuja. On arrival, he moved her to Clover Hospital in Wuse 2, where her blood pressure was reportedly reduced from about 250 to 135/95.

A cardiologist subsequently advised that she be transferred to the National Hospital, Abuja, because Clover Hospital lacked some equipment needed to manage her condition.

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At the National Hospital, Mary was placed on oxygen and underwent a CT scan, which reportedly revealed bleeding in her brain. Ukoh said doctors told him she needed surgery, intensive care and life-support equipment, but the necessary facilities were not immediately available.

He said other hospitals, including Garki General Hospital, the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi and a facility in Gwagwalada, were mentioned as alternatives. Mary remained at the National Hospital, where a bed or space eventually became available. Doctors reportedly gave her a 50-50 chance of survival, but she died on September 7.

Ukoh said the medical report listed the cause of death as “cardiopulmonary arrest and massive pontine haemorrhage”. He said doctors explained that she had suffered bleeding in the brain following a blood vessel rupture, which he associated with her severe hypertension. The medical report was not independently examined for this account.

He said Mary had managed high blood pressure for about 10 years and had previously experienced a collapse. He added that a formal death certificate was expected as part of the process of releasing her body from the mortuary.

Ukoh said he contacted Mary’s elder brother after she was admitted to hospital and also informed her elder sister, whose husband was in Keffi, Nasarawa State. Her sister arrived at about 10 a.m., while he called her brother around 3 a.m. after doctors warned that her condition was critical. He said her brother could not arrive before she died.

Rejecting allegations of domestic violence, Ukoh said disagreements between him and Mary were resolved without physical confrontations. He said he was unaware of any formal police complaint against him but would cooperate with the authorities if an investigation were opened.

He linked the controversy to earlier disagreements involving Precious, who, according to him, stayed with the couple for two to three months when she was about 13 or 14 years old. He said tensions developed between her, Mary and a neighbour who was married to his younger brother, after which he returned Precious to her family. He added that they later reconciled.

Ukoh said Precious subsequently left her daughter in his household, where the child was cared for and enrolled in school alongside his own children. He recounted further disagreements over the child’s care, including an occasion when Precious’s mother collected her before the child later returned to his home.

Ukoh said he suspected these family disputes might have influenced the allegations, but offered no independent evidence linking them to the claims. Precious’s response to his account was not included in the interview, and the allegations against Ukoh have not been independently established.

He said he learnt of the accusations through videos circulating on WhatsApp and contacted an in-law in Keffi to ask the family to issue a statement. According to Ukoh, the in-law said the family did not support the allegations, but later told him that Precious had said she would act as she wished and take responsibility for her actions.

The dispute also affected Mary’s burial arrangements. Ukoh said that, under the Igede custom as he understood it, the husband could propose a burial date, but the deceased woman’s family made the final decision.

He said some of Mary’s relatives initially halted the arrangements, prompting him to travel to the village to meet family elders. The family eventually fixed October 1 and 2 for the burial. Ukoh said he had proposed September 25 and 26 for work-related reasons, but the family preferred a later date to accommodate relatives travelling from distant locations.

Mary celebrated her 40th birthday on July 10, 2026. While Ukoh maintains that she died following a medical emergency and denies any role in her death, the circumstances and allegations surrounding the case would require appropriate investigation before any conclusion could be reached.

A suspected armed robber has admitted stabbing a couple during a midnight robbery in Ibadan, Oyo State, in an attack that killed the wife, left her husband critically injured and involved an alleged attempt to sexually assault their daughter.

The suspect, identified as Matthew, reportedly confessed to stabbing Mrs Rukayat and her husband, Alhaji Olatokunbo, during the robbery at their residence in Wofun, Olodo area of Ibadan, on August 4.

According to a report by Saturday Tribune, Matthew allegedly led two accomplices, Ibrahim and another suspect identified as Oyo, who is still at large, in the attack.

The robbery came to light amid public outrage over a separate reported incident involving the killing of a family of six following a dispute over a phone.

During the investigation, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Oyo State Police Command arrested three suspected members of the gang at a hideout in Sabo, Ibadan, on October 2.

The suspects were identified as Matthew, Tobi and Ibrahim, although the report withheld Matthew’s surname. Police investigations reportedly linked them to robbery operations in Wofun and Moniya.

According to the report, the gang allegedly approached the couple’s residence under cover of darkness and hid in nearby bushes before entering the house at about 2:30 a.m., when the occupants were asleep.

Matthew told investigators that he headed towards the couple’s bedroom after the gang gained entry. He said the occupants woke up and struggled with the intruders.

Recounting the confrontation, he admitted stabbing the husband and subsequently attacking his wife.

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“That was when I stabbed the man; I won’t lie, I stabbed the man,” he reportedly said.

When asked whether he also stabbed the woman, Matthew answered in the affirmative, adding that he stabbed both victims in the neck.

He claimed that the couple fell to the floor following the attack but that the husband later got up and shouted for help, prompting the robbers to flee.

Rukayat reportedly died from the attack, while her husband sustained severe injuries that left his intestines exposed. He survived after undergoing surgery at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where he reportedly spent several weeks receiving treatment.

The attackers allegedly escaped with mobile phones, wristwatches, $400 and other valuables estimated to be worth more than ₦3 million.

The Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, reportedly disclosed the arrests in a statement, saying an iPhone 7 Plus believed to have been stolen during the robbery was recovered from the suspects.

Suspect Admits Approaching Couple’s Daughter

The investigation also uncovered allegations that one of the suspects attempted to sexually assault a daughter of the couple during the incident.

Matthew reportedly admitted seeing the young woman bathing before the gang entered the house and acknowledged approaching her in her room.

Asked whether he attempted to sexually assault her, he admitted making a move towards her but denied touching her.

“I made a move, truly, but I didn’t touch her,” he reportedly said.

Matthew also acknowledged that the woman told him she was menstruating. Asked whether that was why he left her alone, he answered in the affirmative.

The allegation forms part of the reported account of the attack, although the suspect’s denial of physical contact remains part of his statement.

Second Suspect Links Moniya Robbery to Alleged Stolen-Phone Dealer

The investigation also linked some of the suspects to a separate robbery in the Moniya area of Ibadan.

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Tobi, who reportedly admitted participating in that operation, alleged that a man identified as Sefianu supplied information about the targeted property and helped the gang locate the house.

He accused Sefianu of dealing in stolen mobile phones and laptops and alleged that the gang returned to sell stolen phones to him after the operation.

“Sefianu was the one who told us of the location, because I didn’t know the place before. He even asked a commercial motorcyclist to take us there,” Tobi reportedly said.

He further alleged that Sefianu operated around Sabo and Mokola in Ibadan.

The claims against Sefianu remain allegations attributed to Tobi and would require independent verification by investigators.

Ibrahim, the third suspect, reportedly admitted participating in the Moniya robbery but denied involvement in the fatal attack on the couple.

“Truthfully, speaking of the place Matthew said he went and killed someone, I wasn’t there at all,” he reportedly said.

He identified the Moniya operation as the robbery in which he participated and linked it to the alleged assistance provided by Sefianu.

Suspects’ Previous Encounters With the Law

The Saturday Tribune report also detailed the suspects’ previous encounters with the criminal justice system.

Matthew was reportedly arrested in 2020 over an alleged armed robbery and remanded while his case was before a court. He claimed that he was released in October 2025 during an exercise to decongest correctional facilities in Oyo State.

Tobi, meanwhile, was reportedly convicted of phone theft and sentenced to one year in prison. He said he was released in June 2026.

According to Tobi, he met Matthew at a birthday party held at a hotel in Ibadan in July, where he noticed that the celebrant and some other guests were former inmates. He claimed that his encounter with Matthew at the gathering eventually led to his involvement in robbery.

The report did not establish that the suspects’ previous detention or conviction alone caused their alleged involvement in the subsequent incidents.

Police Intensify Investigation

The suspects’ arrests followed an investigation by the VCRU, acting on the directives of Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Ayodeji Abimbola.

Police investigations reportedly linked the suspects to multiple robbery operations, while the recovery of a phone believed to have been stolen during the Wofun attack formed part of the evidence gathered.

Investigators are expected to pursue other suspects allegedly involved in the operations and examine claims concerning the alleged supply of intelligence and disposal of stolen property.

The case has renewed concerns about violent robbery and the safety of residents in Ibadan, particularly during night-time attacks on homes.

The suspects’ statements and the allegations against them remain subject to further investigation and judicial proceedings. Any determination of criminal responsibility must be made through the appropriate legal process.

An Ekiti State commercial driver has revealed that he borrowed ₦3.5 million to support the 2027 re-election ambitions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Ekiti State House of Assembly member Steve Fatoba.

The driver, Adeleye Adeniyi, popularly known as “Online Loan Man for BAO”, made the disclosure in a video interview shared by Ekiti State Television (EKTV), attracting attention over his decision to take a loan to support political candidates.

Adeniyi said the money was intended to demonstrate his support for the three politicians ahead of the 2027 general election. He also displayed a cardboard cheque bearing the name of Wema Bank, detailing how he planned to distribute the funds.

Under the proposed arrangement, Tinubu would receive ₦2 million, Bamidele ₦1 million and Fatoba ₦500,000, bringing the total to ₦3.5 million.

“I am supporting Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his second-term ambition. I have borrowed money. I want to use this money to support him because he’s doing a very great job,” Adeniyi said.

He also pledged to campaign for Tinubu, expressing his intention to mobilise support for the President’s re-election bid.

“Like I said again, I am fully ready to go out to campaign for him. And I’m going to use this song to back him up. On your mandate, we shall stand,” he said.

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Adeniyi urged Nigerians to support Tinubu for another term, saying he believed the President would deliver more benefits to citizens if re-elected.

He also expressed support for Bamidele and Fatoba, citing what he described as their contributions to development. He praised Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji as well, referring to improvements he associated with the administration in healthcare, education, electricity and rural infrastructure.

The driver said Bamidele’s involvement in development projects had strengthened his confidence in the senator’s leadership. He expressed the hope that the lawmaker would continue to advance in his political career.

Adeniyi’s latest declaration follows a similar gesture reported in February 2026, when he reportedly obtained a loan through the digital lending platform OPay to brand a vehicle in support of Oyebanji’s re-election campaign.

The earlier incident brought him public attention and reinforced his reputation as a supporter willing to make personal financial commitments to political campaigns.

His latest pledge extends that support to Tinubu and two other politicians as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, the driver’s statement and the displayed cardboard cheque do not independently establish that the loan has been disbursed or that the politicians have received the money. The proposed allocations therefore remain a stated commitment rather than a confirmed donation.

The disclosure has also drawn attention to the financial risks individuals may face when borrowing money to support political causes, particularly when repayment obligations remain regardless of the eventual election outcome.