A Nigerian-born United States citizen, Michael Collins Iheme, has been accused of shooting his estranged wife, Anthonia Eberechi Iheme, seven times outside a nursing home in Minnesota, United States, following an alleged dispute over the paternity of their children.
According to accounts surrounding the incident, Michael allegedly attacked Anthonia, a Nigerian nurse, after she reportedly told him that one of their children was not biologically his.
The couple’s relationship was reportedly characterised by marital disagreements, suspicions and disputes over their children’s custody before the shooting.
Michael, who was born on September 22, 1957, reportedly married Anthonia in 2003. The marriage was his third, and he later admitted having reservations about marrying her because of their significant age difference and his suspicion that she was primarily interested in obtaining permanent residency in the United States.
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The couple had two children together: a son born in 2005 and a daughter born in 2006.
Following their relocation to the United States, Anthonia obtained legal permanent resident status in April 2006.
However, the marriage reportedly deteriorated, leading to their separation in August 2007.
Michael subsequently filed for divorce in September 2007, while disagreements over the custody of their two children continued.
At the time of the shooting, the estranged couple were reportedly involved in a custody dispute.
Anthonia, who was 28 years old at the time of her death, was reportedly working as a nurse at a Minnesota nursing home when the fatal incident occurred.
The alleged paternity disagreement reportedly formed part of the circumstances surrounding the attack, although the precise sequence of events and other details of the shooting would require further confirmation.