In a gruesome turn of events, the Rivers State Police Command has apprehended a suspect, Emeka, allegedly involved in the gang rape and subsequent murder of Mrs. Chigbewejim Steward, the wife of a Pastor in the Abarikpo community of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
According to reports, Emeka, following a heated argument earlier that day, orchestrated a chilling attack on Mrs. Steward.
Recounting the harrowing ordeal, her husband, Assistant Pastor Lawyer Steward, revealed the heartbreaking details: “Emeka masterminded the death of my wife after he quarreled with her…
He told my wife, ‘You will see wickedness today.’ And that night, those bad boys came… and took my wife away.”
The assailants, suspected to be members of the ‘In Iceland’ cult group, forcibly abducted Mrs. Steward from her home at midnight on February 12, 2023.
Tragically, she was five months pregnant at the time.
“Emeka and his gang raped and strangled her to death,” Steward painfully recounted.
Mrs. Steward’s lifeless body was discovered hours later near a fishing pond, bearing signs of brutal assault and rape.
Her vocal stance against criminal activities in the community may have made her a target.
Acknowledging the police’s efforts, Steward urged for justice: “I want the government to intervene so that justice will prevail. I thank the police for their effort in arresting these bad boys.”
While the state Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, promised to provide further information, a senior police officer revealed that aside from Emeka, two others were also apprehended in connection to the crime.
As investigations unfold, the tragic loss of Mrs. Steward underscores the urgent need for swift and decisive action against gender-based violence, ensuring that perpetrators face the full force of the law.