Suspected members of a cult group abducted and raped a pastor’s wife to death in Abarikpo, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
It was gathered that the mother of two, Mrs. Chigbewejim Remember Steward, was abducted at about 1am on Sunday,12 February 2023.
Her lifeless body was found at about 10am in Abarikpo with multiple injuries and blood in her private part.
The victim’s husband, Pastor Lawyer Steward, an Assistant Pastor in Seventh Day Adventist Abarikpo, confirmed the incident in an interview with journalists on Monday.
“I am the husband of Chigbejim Lawyer who was murdered by some group of boys after raping her, they murdered her. I am not a cultist, I am an Assistant Pastor in charge of Evangelism at Seventh Day Adventist Church Abarikpo. Everybody in my community knows I am not a cultist,” he said.
“She gave birth to three children one is late. The surviving ones are aged seven, a female, and a male aged three years. I am telling the Government that those who murdered my wife should be brought to justice. Though one Aka Sunday, a Cultist claimed he slaughtered my wife that my wife talked against him and that people told him my wife always talked against him. The Sunday is a cultist that is the reason he murdered her.”
Pastor Steward also said that the Ahoada Police Division in Ahoada town, Ahoada LGA led by the DPO visited the scene on Sunday evening.
In an interview with journalists, Mr. Ekeakita Hector Chinem, Public Relations Officer of Igbu Akoh Clan Youth Congress, Ahoada East LGA confirmed the abduction and rape of the victim.
“So like we have been having a series of killing in Akoh. When they kill nobody goes after the bad boys. No security people go after the bad boys. No Political leaders go after the issue. People are afraid. You report or don’t report what will happen will happen,” he said.
“So people are living in fear. The killing of the woman is not cult-related because she is a married woman. Late last year we witnessed eleven killings in that community. In the eleven killings last year, a member of one of the cult groups went to their camp and collected the AK 47 of their master, and ran away to their community at Abarikpo.
“Only for the cult leader to send his boys to lavish innocent lives which eleven persons were killed and till today no Investigation, no action was taken by the Police, nothing,”
Meanwhile, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has condemned the abduction and rape of the victim.
Prince Wiro, the National Coordinator of the group called on the Police to ensure the full weight is brought on the perpetrators.
“The Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has described as the height of wickedness, the abduction, rape of Mrs. Chigbewejim Lawyer, wife to Mr. Lawyer Steward, an Assistant Pastor of a Pentecostal Church in Abarikpo community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State to death on Sunday 12, February 2023,” the statement read.
“We are shocked that the suspected gang leader who carried out the heinous and dastardly act is still moving around in the community as revealed by the deceased woman’s husband in an interaction with the Centre.
“We call on the Rivers State Police command and appropriate security agencies to immediately arrest the culprits and bring the full weight of the law against anyone found culpable in course of investigation to serve desired justice on the matter.
”Centre for Basic Rights condoles with the family of the deceased victim, particularly the children and the husband, Mr. Lawyer Steward on the gruesome murder of his wife while praying that God gives him the fortitude to bear the loss.”
