Tragedy struck in the early hours Thursday at Edepie, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, when a 46-year-old man, identified as Patrick Markson, reportedly killed his wife and then took his own life, Vanguard Newspaper reports.

The tragic incident, which occurred at Odede Street off Tombia-Amssoma Road, was said to have left many residents in shock.

The man, identified as a staff of the Yenagoa Local Government, reportedly clubbed his wife to death in her sleep with a sledgehammer.

He was said to have watched the woman bleed to death and, thereafter, drank a poisonous substance, lay close to the bleeding corpse and died.

The deceased wife, aged 35, identified as Hannah, is from Okotiama community in Gbarain Clan in Yenagoa council area of the state.

It was learned that the deceased couple, blessed with six children, had been embroiled in marital disputes lately, which they could not resolve

Sources close to the couple claimed the disagreement bothers on money realised from a contract handed the husband by some members of his wife family.

A lady close to the deceased woman described her as gentle and that she had no time for conflicts.

According to her, “Yesterday, we were frying gari, and the husband called me that he wanted to speak with my sister if we were together.”

“I told him that when I get to where she was, I will pass the message. On reaching her, I told her and immediately we tried reaching him but we couldn’t.”

“Later he called again, but I had left where she was so he told me to tell her to bring gari for home use.”

“This morning (Thursday), the son called me that the mum was seen dead and he wants me to come.”

“As I was going to the house, I called him and ask of the dad and he told me the dad too was dead.”

“So when I got to their house I went straight to the room and saw them both lying on the bed dead.”

“But I noticed a can of poison by the bed and a big hammer.”

She added that they had matrimonial issues, but that she had often intervened.

“The genesis of their problems was when my husband died and I had a contract which I engaged him to benefit from.”

“After the contract, he got N800,000 for himself and never gave anything to the wife. She was bitter and reported the issue to me.”

“I approached him and told him what he did was bad, because I involved him due to the fact that he married my sister.”

“But I didn’t suspect it would result to this. Now they are both gone,” she added.

Contacted, the spokesman of the state police Police command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the development.

He said: “Preliminary investigation reveals that one Patrick Markson, 46, a native of Onopa, Yenagoa, attacked and killed his wife, Hannah Markson, with a hammer.”

“Thereafter, he drank a poisonous substance and died. Photographs of the scene were taken, the hammer and bottle of the poison were recovered as exhibits. An investigation is ongoing.”