Rivers State police have arrested a young man, Mr. Prince Owabie, popularly called J-boy, for allegedly killing and burying his pregnant girlfriend in his room.
The Guardian gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday, but the suspect was arrested yesterday, by policemen following a tip-off. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Rumuepirikom police station, CSP Emmanuel Wagbara, disclosed that a case of missing person was filed by relative of the victim, who reported that her sister had been missing for a week after her alleged visit to her boyfriend.
The DPO said the suspect was invited and interrogated on the whereabouts of the deceased. He admitted that Ogbede was in his house but later left for her home and that he had not heard from her since she left.
He said: “We were not satisfied with his response. So, early yesterday morning, we decided to conduct a search in and around his house and there we discovered a shallow grave in his room. It was then he confessed to us that the girl was buried in the grave.”
Wagbara added that the suspect have already been arrested and is assisting the police in their investigations. Neighbours of the suspect said Owabie is a habitual woman beater, adding that he usually beats his girlfriends.
The deceased cousin said the victim went to pick her personal belongings from Owabie’s residence last Sunday when a hot argument ensued between them, leading to a serious fight, which led to her death.
“It was as if she knew that J-boy was going to kill her. This is because she informed her sister of her whereabouts before leaving for the suspect’s house. At a point into the fight, she called her sister from her boyfriend’s house with a tearful voice that he was going to kill her. The sister could literally hear the sound of the boy hitting the victim as she kept shouting and crying.”
The Rumuepirikom community youth leader, Nyemanu Onuoha, described the incident as unfortunate and promised that the youths would ensure that justice takes its course. Sources said the body of the slain pregnant lady was yet to be exhumed from the suspect’s apartment. Security men have been deployed to the suspect’s compound to prevent any breakdown of law and order.