The statement added that the culprit has been arrested and is currently in police custody while investigations are ongoing.
Security operatives have arrested a middle-aged man identified as Ifeanyi Ezenwankwo.
The man from Nanka community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State was arrested for allegedly inflicting body injuries on his wife, Ekwutosi, and also burying a newborn baby in a shallow grave.
Ezenwankwo was said to have buried the newborn baby to conceal his illicit acts with a 16-year-old girl whom he impregnated and bore the child for him afterward.
The wife, Ekwutosi, a native of Agbiligba Nanka community, said she was inflicted with the injuries after she raised the alarm when she came back home and met her husband burying the newborn baby.
This was disclosed on Thursday in a press statement issued to journalists by Chidinmma Ikeanyionwu, the Media Aide to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo.
Ikeanyionwu said the culprit was immediately arrested by security operatives and the wife was rescued after the ministry was alerted to the development.
The statement read, “One Ekwutosi Ezenwankwo, a woman from Agbiligba Nanka has been rescued from his alleged ritualist husband, Ifeanyi Ezenwankwo, for refusing to aid and abet his criminal activities.
“According to the woman, the husband who is also a native of Nanka is always in the habit of impregnating one 16-year-old girl and afterward, aborts the pregnancies, but he ran out of luck when the said 16-year-old became pregnant again and the pregnancy could not be aborted.
“The wife of the culprit said that trouble started when she came back home from where she went to and met her husband and the 16-year-old girl burying the newborn baby and when she raised the alarm, the husband brutally descended on her and wounded her together with her children.
“The woman noted that she had earlier observed what was going on between her husband and the young girl and had quickly warned that nothing should happen to the unborn child, a situation, she said made the husband hide the girl in his chambers.
“She also revealed that the husband also threatened to kill her, which according to her, has been a constant occurrence, citing instances where community members have rescued her from her husband anytime he embarks on the mission of silencing her.
“When she was asked what started the issue, Ekwutosi said that their problem started when the husband married another woman and ever since has not been contributing to the upkeep and welfare of the children.”
The statement added that the culprit has been arrested and is currently in police custody while investigations are ongoing.