Man hacks wife to death in Rivers

…As police arrest 11 suspected cultists

From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

Tragedy struck yesterday, in Ikata community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the Rivers State, as a man identified as Sebastian Udeh, hacked his wife to death. The victim, Mrs. Abigail Sebastian was said to have had a quarrel with her husband all through the night before he used machete to snuff life out of her at about 4:30a.m. No one was able to ascertain the cause of the quarrel as at the time of filing the report, but neighbours said they heard noise when the incident occurred.

Confirming the incident to Daily Sun, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Benjamin Ugwuegbulam, said the suspect had been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation. The PPRO added that the deceased’s body had been deposited in a mortuary and the machete recovered. In a related development, one person was killed also in Ahoada East LGA, when suspected cultists invaded Ochiyba community in the area.

The victim, 0kpara James, died as the suspected cult men unleashed terror on the community at about 11:30a.m yesterday. The hoodlums reportedly destroyed several property. It was gathered that through a combined operation by the police and men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), 11 of the suspects were arrested. They are Godday, 30; Nwineke, 45; Richman, 22; Wisdom, 25; Agi, 30; Akajiaku, 28; Ogbunike, 30; Godstime, 18 and ThankGod, 21. Items recovered from them included, a bag containing seven locally made dynamite, six dynamite fuses and 14 dynamite wires.

Briefing journalists at the Police Command Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, the State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Indabawa assured members of the public of their commitment to stamp out crime in the state. Indabawa said security operatives had intensified search for other suspects at large. He urged for cooperation in the fight against criminality.