Confusion engulfs the Rivers State Police Command Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, after a 23-year-old man identified as Ifeanyi Maxwell Dike, paraded over the weekend for raping and ritual killing of an eight-year-old girl, escaped from Police custody.
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The suspect, Ifeanyi Maxwell Dike |
The 200 level student of the Faculty of Science, University of Port-Harcourt, abducted the girl on Friday, August 18, 2017, raped and killed her, thereafter plugged out her eyes, cut off her tongue, one of her breasts, and vagina, before stuffing her remain in a polythene bag and waited till around early hours of Saturday (1:am), August 19, 2017, to dispose of it at a nearby refuge. He was apprehended by men of the vigilante group, who suspected his movement and stopped him for questioning.
The suspect reportedly dropped the polythene bag and took to his heels. He was caught after a hot pursuit and taken to Okporo Police Station, Port-Harcourt. The suspect confessed to the dastardly act and took the Police to where the vital organs were concealed. The body and the organs have been recovered, paraded and deposited in the mortuary.
Victim's Father's account of how the suspect escaped:
Father of the victim, Dr. Ernest Nmezuwuba, who was neighbours with the accused at Messiah street, Eliozu area of Port-Harcourt, Obio-Akpo Local government area, Rivers state narrated.
“After taking the corpse to the State CID with the suspect handcuffed, the Inspector that led me there; the commissioner (CP) said I should come and that they should officially hand this case to the state CID, which I followed up.
“Reaching there, I saw the DSP in charge of the place, we explained to him what happened and the man shouted.
“He (DSP) called one John-bosco to record everything and take statement. We were there with the suspect in handcuff. When we got to the state CID, there was no light in the entire State CID. I wrote my statement with candle; imagine a whole state CID. The John-bosco removed the handcuff from the suspect’s hand for him (suspect) to write his statement.
“At a point, the boy (Dike) said he was thirsty and John-bosco said I should buy pure water for him and I asked him; are you crazy? Is something wrong with you? Why would you ask me to buy water for a person that killed my daughter? Why would I buy water for a ritualist? And I told John-bosco that it was none of my business.
“Some policemen were at the gate with guns while we were at the charge room writing statement. After we finished writing our statement, John-bosco called the IPO to go and put the suspect in the cell. The suspect was not handcuffed at that time.“They did not walk up to a pole when I heard hold am, hold am. He has escaped. Whether he jumped the fence or not, I cannot say because the entire place was dark; it was around 7.30 to 8p.m."
During interrogation, the suspect who was supposed to help the Police with investigations confessed that he was not the only one involved in the ritual killing.