Man who gang-raped pastor’s pregnant wife to death nabbed

The Rivers State Police Command said it has arrested one suspect, Emeka, who was suspected to have raped a pregnant woman, Mrs Chigbewejim Steward, to death.

The suspect was said to have come with a gang of men who raped the victim to death in Abarikpo community of Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state, reports Saturday PUNCH.

Our correspondent gathered that the suspect had a disagreement with the deceased on February 12, 2023, after which he led his gang to break into the victim’s house at midnight to kidnap her.

It was learnt that Chigbewejim who was five months pregnant at that time was taken to an unknown location where Emeka and his gang were said to have raped her to death.

Emeka was said to have fled from the community after discovering that the police were on his trail.

However, he was arrested 15 months later following police discovery of his whereabouts.

Chigbewejim’s husband, Lawyer Steward, who is a pastor in Abarikpo community, during an interview with newsmen in Port-Harcourt on Thursday, confirmed the arrest while appealing to the government to ensure that justice was done in the matter.

He said, “Emeka, the masterminder of the death of my wife, quarrelled with her because he said that my wife called him a wicked man. He told my wife that she would see wickedness that day.

“That night around 1 am on Sunday, 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.”

He noted that the corpse of his late wife was discovered around a fishing pond hours after her abduction with multiple bruises and bleeding from her private parts.

Contacted for reaction, the spokesperson of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said investigations were ongoing adding that, he (Emeka) has been arrested and the matter will be transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.”