- The suspects was said to have carried out the heinous act after an altercation with the deceased.
A man simply identified as Emeka, who orchestrated the raping of one Chigbewejim Steward, a pastor’s wife, to death has been arrested.
Emeka was said to have led the gang that raped the woman in the Abarikpo community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects was said to have carried out the heinous act after an altercation with the deceased.
The suspect, after quarreling with Steward earlier that day, broke into her house at midnight with his gang on February 12, 2023 kidnapped the woman, and ferried her to an unknown destination.
The suspect was said to have fled the community after getting information that the police were were after him.
The deceased’s husband, an Assistant Pastor with Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Abarikpo community, Lawyer Steward, while speaking with newsmen on Friday, confirmed the suspect’s arrest.
Steward recalled, “Yes Emeka, masterminded the death of my wife after he quarreled with her that my wife called him a wicked man. He told my wife you will see wickedness today.
“And that night around 1 am February 12, 2023, those bad boys came to my house and broke the door and took my wife away.
“My wife was five months pregnant. Emeka and his gang raped and strangled her to death. The police arrested him on Thursday. Now he is in the police custody. I have gone to the station to give my statement.
“I want the government to intervene so that justice will prevail. I thank the police for their effort in arresting these bad boys”.
He alleged that Emeka and his gang are members of a cult group ‘In Iceland’, saying when his wife was kidnapped they had taken her to their hideout and gang raped and killed her.
Steward also recalled that the corpse of his wife was discovered with multiple bruises and bleeding from her vagina close to a fishing pond several hours after she was abducted.
It’s gathered that the late Mrs. Steward was very vocal in condemning criminal and cult activities in the Abarikpo community.
A senior police officer confirmed the arrest of Emeka, adding that two other suspects were arrested in respect over the incident.
“It was not only Emeka. Two others were also arrested by the Ahoada Police Division. They are all in custody,” he told Punch