MAN ALLEGEDLY AXED WIFE TO DEATH

I was under a spell, says 69- yr-old man who allegedly axed wife to death By ALBERT AKPOR Ordinarily, his frail look will readily counter the offense for which he is being held. But he is stronger and even much younger in speech, albeit his age. Pa Mathew Agbe is 69 and a security guard with the National Museum Benin city, the Edo state capital. Sadly, he may be confined in prison custody for the remaining part of his life, for a first degree murder except the court says otherwise. Pa Mathew is being held by homicide detectives at the Edo state Police command for allegedly axing his wife of 42 years to death. Although the Edo state born father of one said he could not actually say what came over him that ill- fated day, leading to grabbing an ax which he ended up using on his loving wife, Alice. But he was able to trace the beginning of the strained relationship between him and Alice, a woman he married in 1970, to the period he was bestowed with the title of Odionwere which in Bini language means, head of his community in security matters. He said his late wife had mistaken the title for one that should be accompanied by cash reward and therefore, made ceaseless demands for money.