Police in Rivers State said they have one Jim Zaccheus in their custody, for allegedly killing and secretly burying his girlfriend in his room on Saturday, last week, in the Elechi Beach end of Diobu, Port Harcourt.
The state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Indabawa, who revealed this during his maiden press briefing in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, also said the command had arrested four out of seven suspects who gang-raped a 14-year-old girl in the Rumuodonmaya area of the city.
Indabawa, who recently took office as police chief for Rivers, also said he planned to continue with the fight against entrenched corruption among officers and men of the command, adding that he would use everything in his powers to reduce crime rate in the state.
Indabawa, who said the command would charge Zaccheus to court for the criminal act, added that the suspect had been accused of killing his girlfriend, who was identified as Peace Mathias and carefully buried her corpse in his room, to conceal the act.
Nigerian Tribune leant that the suspect had been suspicious of his victim over a new hair style she made and demanded to know how she got the money, a situation that led to a quarrel between them.
Not satisfied with her explanation, Zaccheus was said to have beaten her to a pulp, while she died in the process, although it was not clear if he used any object on her.
However, neighbours had suspected the movements of the suspect, coupled with stench that was oozing out of the room and had alerted security operatives who forced the door open and exhumed the victim’s decomposing body.
“The suspect was arrested yesterday (Tuesday) and has confessed to the crime. We are yet to contact the parents of the deceased, but investigation on the incident is still on,” the police commissioner said.
