Tragedy has struck in Owerri, Imo State, following the death of 29-year-old Olumma, a hardworking vegetable seller and mother of two young children aged one and two, after a domestic dispute with her husband over ₦35,000.
Olumma was well known in her market as a diligent and friendly trader whose commitment to her business endeared her to customers. Earlier this year, financial difficulties forced her to temporarily stop trading. During that period, her sister had promised to help raise funds to enable her return to the market. Before that plan materialised, however, one of Olumma’s regular customers offered her financial support, allowing her to resume business — a move many described as proof of her resilience and determination.
Earlier this week, Olumma supplied goods to a customer who owed her ₦35,000. The customer requested to make a bank transfer instead of paying cash. Olumma then provided her husband’s account details, with the understanding that she would collect the money from him later that evening. Her husband reportedly ran a patent medicine shop in another market within Owerri.
That same evening, Olumma closed from the market alongside her mother. At a junction close to their home, her mother alighted and bade her farewell. Sources say Olumma was in high spirits, excited that her business had picked up again. She reportedly contacted her suppliers, asking them to bring goods the following day, confident she would make payments after collecting the transferred money.
On getting home, Olumma asked her husband for the ₦35,000. He reportedly told her he had already spent the money. What started as a disagreement quickly escalated into a violent altercation. In the process, Olumma was allegedly attacked by her husband, sustaining injuries that led to her death.
Her death has left a young family devastated. Two children, barely old enough to understand what has happened, will now grow up without their mother — allegedly at the hands of their father.
Those close to the family claim that Olumma had endured various forms of abuse throughout her marriage, including emotional distress and lack of provision in the home. Despite this, she reportedly stayed on for the sake of her children and due to societal pressure. Tragically, that decision proved fatal.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and renewed conversations about domestic violence, economic pressure, and the silent suffering many women endure behind closed doors.
Olumma’s story is not merely about ₦35,000. It is about a life cut short, two children left motherless, and a society that often ignores warning signs until it is too late.
If you know someone who is being abused or showing violent tendencies towards their partner, intervention can save a life. There is a thin line between raising a voice and raising a hand — and crossing it can have irreversible consequences.
As many struggle to come to terms with this tragedy, one question lingers: how does one truly say “rest in peace” when two children, barely three years old combined, will never see their mother again?