Husband Denies Role in Wife’s Death, Says He Is Ready for Investigation

Moses Ukoh, husband of the late Mary Ugwoma, has denied allegations that he was responsible for his wife’s death, insisting that he is willing to cooperate with any investigation into the circumstances surrounding her passing.

Ukoh, 40-year-old Mary’s husband, spoke out after a social media post by his wife’s niece accused him of being responsible for her death. He said he was surprised by the allegation and maintained that his wife’s death followed a medical emergency linked to her longstanding high blood pressure.

According to him, the family had celebrated their New Year festival on September 4, during which Mary prepared a meal and they prayed together. He said he left for work at about 5am the following day and later decided to sleep over near his workplace because transport was difficult to find on Sundays and he needed to resume work early on Monday.

Ukoh said he spoke with his wife by telephone at about 7pm on Saturday and she sounded well. He did not speak with her on Sunday morning because, according to him, she was preparing their two children—a boy aged 11 and a girl aged eight—for church.

He said he received a call from a neighbour and friend between 10am and 11am on Sunday, informing him that Mary had collapsed after returning from church. He was told that she had dropped her bag at home and gone to a nearby shop to buy snacks before collapsing.

Ukoh explained that his wife had previously experienced episodes of collapse because of high blood pressure, which the family had been managing. He said he advised those assisting her to take her to Medford Hospital on Katampe Road, Abuja, before he made his way to meet them.

On arriving at the hospital, he said he moved her into his vehicle and took her to Clover Hospital in Wuse 2, where medical personnel admitted her to the emergency ward and tried to stabilise her. According to him, her blood pressure, which was around 250, was reduced to approximately 135/95.

He said doctors subsequently advised that she needed specialist cardiac care, but the facility they visited did not have the equipment required to treat her condition. The family then took her to the National Hospital in Abuja, where she was placed on oxygen and doctors continued efforts to stabilise her.

Ukoh said the medical team later informed the family that Mary’s condition was critical and that her chances of survival were about 50 per cent. Despite the treatment, she remained unconscious and died on September 7.

The husband said he kept members of Mary’s family informed while she was receiving treatment. He stated that he contacted her elder brother after taking her to hospital and also reached out to her elder sister, who lives around Kurudu in Abuja. He said he continued updating her relatives as her condition worsened.

He maintained that the medical findings supported his account of a health emergency. According to him, a brain scan revealed a massive pontine haemorrhage, which he understood to mean bleeding in the brain following the rupture of blood vessels. He said doctors explained that the bleeding was associated with dangerously high blood pressure and affected a part of the brain responsible for important bodily functions.

The allegations reportedly emerged around the period when the families were discussing burial arrangements. Ukoh said he met with his late wife’s relatives and explained what had happened. He claimed they listened to his account and proceeded with arrangements for the burial.

He explained that, according to the custom of his community in Igede land, the husband may propose a burial date, but the deceased woman’s family has the final say. He said his request for an earlier date was rejected because relatives travelling from other places needed more time to prepare.

The burial was subsequently scheduled for October 1 and 2, following discussions between both families. Ukoh said he complied with the family’s decision and the customary requirements for the arrangements.

Mary celebrated her 40th birthday on July 10, 2026. Her death and the allegations made afterwards have brought attention to the need for the circumstances surrounding her passing to be handled carefully and fairly.

Ukoh has maintained that he did not kill his wife and says he is prepared to be investigated. The allegations against him have not, in the information available, been established as fact. A thorough investigation would be necessary to determine whether there was any wrongdoing or whether her death resulted from the medical condition he described.

For now, the circumstances surrounding Mary Ugwoma’s death remain a sensitive matter for both families, as they prepare for her burial while facing public allegations and questions about what happened in her final

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