A suspect, identified as Emeka, who allegedly led the gang rape of the wife of a Pastor, Mrs Chigbewejim Steward, to death in the Abarikpo community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State has been arrested.
He was arrested by men of the state police command.
Osun Defender gathered that after quarrelling with Mrs. 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.
Speaking with newsmen on Thursday, the deceased’s husband, an Assistant Pastor with Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Abarikpo community, Lawyer Steward, confirmed the suspect’s arrest.
Steward recalled, “Yes Emeka, masterminded the death of my wife after he quarrelled with her, 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.
A senior police officer who pleaded anonymity as he could not speak on the issue told the Punch that aside from Emeka, two other persons suspects were arrested in respect of the crime.
“It was not only Emeka. Two others were also arrested by the Ahoada Police Division. They are all in custody,” he stated.
