Man puts rat poison in bread to kill brother’s family

A 48-year-old man has been arrested by the police in Imo State for allegedly attempting to poison his brother, Jude Ameikwe and his family over a disputed palm kernel planta­tion.

The suspect, Romanus Ameik­we was said to have put rat poi­son in a loaf of bread his brother and his family were supposed to have for meal.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali told Sunday Sun that the incident happened on April 23, 2014 when Linus, who was the eldest child of the family, came from Abuja and brought a loaf of bread, which he handed over to Jude’s wife.

He said Jude’s wife ate part of the bread, kept the remaining be­fore heading for the market. Ali further stated that the suspect’s younger brother, Jude Ameikwe was mentally ill and was lying on his sick bed. The suspect was said to have turned behind the window and put rat poison inside the bread without knowing that his brother was aware of what he did.

“Though Jude Ameikwe saw him as he was  adding the poison inside the bread , he pretended as if he didn’t see him. When Jude’s wife, Akuime returned from the market and wanted to eat the bread with her two children, she perceived a strange odour from the bread.

Ali disclosed further that Jude then informed the wife that he saw his brother, Romanus put the poison in the bread. The wife was said to have reported the in­cident at Uboma Police Station.

The suspect, in an interview with Sunday Sun, accused his brother’s wife of disrespecting him. “My younger brother’s wife, Akume has not been showing me any form of respect as her husband’s elder brother. I have a dispute  with my brothers including , Jude over a  fam­ily land that contained palm fruits  and Jude’s wife  called me an illegitimate child and said  that  I don’t have a place in the family.“I was so angry with her and I felt I should kill her and her entire household. So, when I discovered that Jude’s wife had eaten part of the bread before leaving for market that day, I went to Ikepa Market to buy rat poison and I turned round the house and went to the window where the bread was kept. I then poured the rat poison inside the bread because I wanted to kill the whole family. I didn’t know  that  my  younger brother saw me when I was putting  poi­son in the bread. When it was discovered, I didn’t deny it, I confessed that I was the one who poisoned the bread,” he said amid plea for forgiveness.

Also speaking to Sunday Sun in an interview, Jude’s wife revealed that his brother-in-law made love advances to her because of her husband’s health challenge, which, she said, she rebuffed.

“It was their elder brother Linus Ameikwe who bought the bread for us from Abuja and handed it over to  me. I ate part of the bread and put the remain­ing on the window. Later in the evening, we wanted to eat the bread with my family. I perceived a strange odour from the bread. I asked my husband concerning the odour  and he told me that he saw Romanus who pour rat poi­son  inside the bread,” she said.She added that, “When we con­fronted him over the allegation, I was shocked he didn’t deny it. He said he wanted to kill us with rat poison. I thank God that we didn’t eat it. We would have died,” she said.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, State CID Owerri, Mr David Folawiyo said that the sus­pect had confessed that he made an attempt  to kill his younger brother’s family with rat poison.

CP Ali promised that the sus­pect, Romanus Ameikwe would soon be charged to court to face the full wrath of the law.