Ekua Tawiah, the woman who set herself and family ablaze, killing her husband and seven-year-old son, has refused food and medicine at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital where she is on admission.

She told doctors and nurses attending to her that she did not deserve to live and wanted to join her husband and child in death.

But the doctors, determined to keep her alive, are administering to her intravenous infusion.

Ekuah, a trader, set herself and family on fire as a result of a marital feud between her and her husband, John Mesu.

Just before his death at the hospital, John, who suffered severe burns and was in pain, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that there was indeed a feud between them but did not anticipate the action from his wife.

Co-tenants told the Daily Graphic that the couple had serious disagreements in the past few months, which made Ekua leave her matrimonial home, leaving her son behind.

They said last Wednesday night, she came back to the house with a gallon of a substance suspected to be petrol and entered their room.

The husband was informed upon his arrival home that his wife was in the room.

The co-tenants added that the information that his wife had returned angered John, who threatened to throw her out of the room, but they (co-tenants) prevailed upon him to allow her to pass the night, since it was very late and not safe for her to travel.

They said late that night they realised the room had been gutted by fire and found out later that the woman had apparently locked the door, removed the key and sprinkled the petrol on highly combustible items in the room, while the husband and son were fast asleep.

The eye witnesses said some of the tenants tried to force the door open from outside but could not, while John also tried to do the same from within it, using a machete.

When the door was finally opened, John, who was engulfed in flames, rushed out and fell on the floor outside the room, while Ekua pursued him and tried to drag him back into the raging flames but she could not.

The co-tenants said when she rushed back into the flames, all were under the impression that she wanted to rescue their son from the room only to see her emerge with the machete and inflict deep wounds at the back, neck and the middle portion of the husband to the horror of all gathered.

The onlookers, however, over-powered her and rushed the three to Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, where the son and the husband passed away.

When contacted, the crime officer of Takoradi Central Police station, ASP Dela Dzansi, confirmed the incident and said that the bodies were currently at the Effia Nkwanta Hospital morgue pending further investigation.



Source: Daily Graphic