Man, 28, Arrested for Killing Pregnant Woman for Ritual

Man, 28, Arrested for Killing Pregnant Woman for Ritual

A middle-age man of 28 has been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for allegedly killing a pregnant woman for ritual purpose at Ikot Otu, Mbiabo village in Itu Local Government Area of the state.

The man identified as Edet Stephen Asuquo was arrested by security operatives last Monday while four other culprits in connection with the crime are being trailed by the police.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Murtala Mani, who paraded the suspect at the state police headquarters, Ikot Akpan-abia, today said the crime was committed for ritual purpose.

Mani who briefed journalists in the state through the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Cordelia Nwawe ASP, said the attention of the police was drawn to the incident by the sister of the suspect.

The police boss expressed worry that the family of the deceased could not be traced as the body has been deposited at the morgue, urging members of the public with missing pregnant woman to come to the state police headquarters for identification of the corpse.

Mani said the suspect would be prosecuted according to the law as nobody has the right to take the life of another person.

Confessing to the crime, Asuquo said five of them, with four now on the run, were hired by the Chairman of the village council, Ikot Out in Mbiabo community whose name was given as Chief Okon Effiong to search for a pregnant woman to be killed (used) for ritual act.

According to him, the head of the pregnant woman and the fetus in the womb were needed by the village council chairman for the ritual purpose in order for him to retain his position as chairman in the forth coming election into the village council.  

The suspect said the chairman, equally on the run, had promised to pay them the sum of N50, 000 if they succeed in killing a pregnant woman and the parts of the body require for the ritual purpose provided.

The suspect who normally deals on oysters said he lured the deceased who came to buy the oysters in the village to follow him to his house in order to sell more for her.

The innocent woman who was said to come from the northern part of Cross River State to buy the periwinkle was overpowered by the suspects, dragged into the room where severe machete cut was inflicted on her.

The victim was said to have died on the spot while the sister of the suspect seeing what the brother has done rushed to the police in the area to report the crime.