UMVA has learned that a 72-year-old midwife, Lydia Owinde, was found dead at her home in Dagenham, east London, under circumstances that have left her community in shock.
Neighbours of the couple have accused police of being 'over-the-top' after mistakenly arresting her 75-year-old husband on suspicion of murder, only to release him later when it was determined Mrs Owinde had died of natural causes.
Locals described the retired mathematics professor as a kind and gentle soul who 'wouldn't hurt a fly', and expressed outrage that he was handcuffed and taken away by officers while still grieving the loss of his wife.
A neighbour who has known the couple for decades said they were a lovely couple who were friends of mine, and that the idea of him hurting Lydia was 'ridiculous'.
The couple, originally from Nigeria, had lived at their home on Boulton Road for decades, and were respected members of their community, with Mrs Owinde having worked as a midwife at Whipps Cross Hospital beyond her retirement age.
Mrs Owinde's colleagues described her as a 'joy to behold', a positive person who always looked after others, and who had delivered thousands of babies during her career.
They said she had only stopped working in May due to ill health, and that her death had left them 'heartbroken'.
A friend of the couple described them as 'beacons in the community', always helping people and spreading joy, and expressed sadness for her husband, who is now facing life without her.
The police initially put out a public statement saying they had arrested a 75-year-old man, but later de-arrested him and said the death was due to natural causes.
A police statement said detectives believed Mrs Owinde had likely died of natural causes, and that a post-mortem examination had provisionally confirmed this.
The husband is currently being treated in hospital for unknown reasons and has not returned home since the incident.
