It was a tragic moment when a 26-year-old Sarah Nwankpo finds herself in the custody of the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department after confessing to the murder of her male friend, Igbodike Anthony, in Port Harcourt.
Sarah, a Senior Secondary School 3 drop-out from Ebonyi State, moved to Port Harcourt in search of greener pastures four months before the incident.
The suspect admitted to having sneaked out of her boyfriend’s place to meet the deceased on 22 December, 2023.
The ill-fated encounter took a sinister turn when Anthony allegedly demanded more sexual engagement. Sarah narrated that a verbal altercation escalated into a physical fight, leading her to defend herself by fatally stabbing Anthony with a dagger attached to a detachable head of a walking cane.
She said: “I met him (late Igbodike ) in 2017, in Enugu. When I left my hometown, I went to Enugu where I had two children for a man. I left Enugu for Port Harcourt in August 2023.
“In Port Harcourt, I started dating a man, Joe Ibanga. But I always received calls from Anthony, inviting me to come visit him. Sometimes he sent me money for transport. But I declined because of my relationship with Ibanga.
“On December 22, 2023, he called again and invited me to come over to his place.
“I took an Okada (commercial motorbike) from my residence in Aluu, to meet with Anthony at Kilimanjaro, by Choba junction. He paid the okada rider N500.”
She continued: “When I informed him (the diseased) about the sudden change in feeling, he suggested we go to a club and buy shawarma. But I refused, insisting that I wanted to go home.
“After much persuasion from him to spend the night with him, I agreed. I put on one of his pairs of shorts and a shirt and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for us.
“When he finished eating, he told me to caress him. I obliged but later opted out when he demanded sex. I told him I was no longer comfortable.
“My rejection provoked him. He told me to dress up and leave his house. By then it was 10 p.m. I refused to leave and stood up to challenge him. A verbal war ensued.
“He slapped me. I reacted and a fight ensued. He locked the door, picked up a walking cane and threatened to beat me with it.
“In my confused state, I dialed my boyfriend’s number (Ibanga) and tried to explain to him what was happening and begged him to come for my help. But he hung up and never called back.
“Anthony held me as I tried to open the door. I screamed for……help, but no one heard me let alone to rescue me. During the fight, he dropped the walking cane. I reached out for it and noticed that it had a detachable holding head.
“I quickly detached the head and saw that a dagger was attached to it. As he charged at me, I stabbed him with the dagger.”
The attempt to flee the crime scene was thwarted by Anthony’s resistance, and the commotion alerted the building owner and his family members, who raised an alarm. Sarah was apprehended by the police, who arrived at the scene promptly.
While in custody, Sarah faced questioning from both the police and the family members of the deceased, providing details of the tragic incident.
The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command, CP Olatunji Disu, emphasized the need for caution in relationships and condemned the resort to violence.
According to him, “This serves as a reminder that violence is never the answer and can lead to devastating consequences for all parties involved. The investigation into this case is ongoing.”
