For refusing to give her husband, Kwaku Kpale, ?1,000 to buy cigarettes, Madam Joyce Kpale, a housewife is battling for life after being shot by a single barrel- gun by her husband.

Joyce, who sustained severe gunshot wounds in the right thigh, is currently on admission at the Wa Regional hospital, where she is responding to treatment.

Her husband, Kpale, has been remanded in police custody by a circuit court to appear on Monday, October 10.

He pleaded not guilty to two counts of possessing firearms without authority and attempted murder.

The court, presided over by Alhaji Ahmed Mustapha, refused him bail to allow thorough investigations into the case by the police.

The facts of the case, as presented to the court by police inspector Stephen Dobara, were that on Tuesday, September 13 at about 6.30pm, Kpale asked his wife to give him ?2,000 to buy cigarettes.

Inspector Dobara said the victim gave the accused ?1,000 with the explanation that, that was all she could afford.

The explanation of Joyce according to the prosecution, did not go down well with the accused who thought that the victim was playing tricks on him as he had given her ?5 million for safe keeping, barely four days ago prior to the incident.

Inspector Dobara told the court that the accused ordered the victim to give him the ?5 million or face the consequences.

The victim explained that she had deposited the money at the bank and could not produce it immediately.

The prosecutor said the accused who refused to accept her explanation entered their bedroom, brought out his singled barrel shotgun and shot her in the right thigh.

Shouts of help by the victim-attracted neighbours who rushed her to the Wa regional hospital for treatment.

Kpale was arrested and taken to the police station.