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How 26-year-old woman killed married lover in Rivers

Published

2 years ago

January 20, 2024

Serah Nwankpo

How 26-year-old woman killed married lover in Rivers

She stabbed him multiple times with the dagger in a walking cane he had brought out to use on her for denying him another round of intimacy.

The above and many more were details provided to operatives of the Rivers State Police Command by a 26-year-old murder suspect, Serah Nwankpo, alleged to have killed her married lover, Anthony Igbodike on December 23.

The suspect, a mother of two and secondary school leaver, who’s currently detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Rivers, told detectives that she acted in self-defense as Igbodike had locked his door to prevent her leaving and brought out the walking cane to use it on her.

Trouble started for the woman on December 22 after she received a phone call from Igbodike, who she claimed had been wooing and sending her cash gifts, and agreed for them to meet.

According to the suspect, she relocated to Port Harcourt City from Enugu last August where she began a new relationship after jettisoning the one which made her a single mother of two kids.

She was in a relationship with one Ibanga who she allegedly cheated on with Igbodike and had called him for help when things went awry during her visit to her married lover’s house but he refused to get involved.

According to the suspect, she first met Igbodike in 2017 in Enugu and while in Port Harcourt, he kept calling her, extending invitations to her to his residence. She said he told her he was separated from his wife and wants to start all over with her.

She told detectives she kept making excuses to turn down the invitation because she wanted to be faithful to Ibanga but Igbodike was persistent and kept sending her money at different times and so she eventually gave in to his demands and they agreed to meet around 10am, at Kilimanjaro by Choba junction.

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Anthony paid the tricycle rider N500 and their day together began.

Amankpo accompanied him as he arranged to pay his staff salaries for the month of December. One of his staff, Hope, spent some time with the duo as Anthony made transactions in the bank.

He took Sarah shopping for groceries and home supplies after he had finished the transactions and sent Hope on her way.

Afterwards, they went to his apartment at Mercy-land extension, Obiri-Ikwerre, an apartment in a compound he shares with his landlord. As they settled in, he asked her to prepare a meal for him.

He accompanied her to his kitchen, showed her how to operate the appliances there, and sat back to let her finish off the cooking. It was just past noon at this time. After a few minutes, he left the house to buy more home supplies- garri, fufu and a soup pack.

When she was done, Igbodike helped himself to the meal of eba and soup she had prepared as she claimed she was not hungry. After the meal, he went in to have a bath and thereafter, they had intimate moments and even made video recordings of their escapades for keeps.

Nwankpo said she became hungry after the romps and decided to fix a meal for herself, narrating that Igbodike was with her even while she ate as they had friendly discussions.

“He enquired about her love life, and she detailed her ongoing relationship with Joe Ibanga. He laughed at the idea of her dealing with the challenges of raising children and struggling with a relationship that was not financially rewarding.

“He offered to wrench her free from pecuniary hardship if she would let go of her relationship and marry him. He also sought to know if she was involved with other men besides her boyfriend. She said she was not.

“He continued his pitch even as she went to have a bath. He explained his business to her and even presented her with job opportunities in his establishment, saying he was willing to make her a manager at his firm.

“She agreed to visit him again after about a week so that they could begin plans for her life with him. Based on the discussions, he had arranged for her to start working with him in January 2024,” the police said.

But the excitement was short-lived as Nwankpo, who had earlier agreed to spend the night changed her mind after he sent her to buy a call card for him.

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“She mentioned the sudden change in feeling to him, but he was not perturbed. To lighten her up, he suggested that they go into town to a club and buy shawarma, but she turned that down, saying she was not in the mood and needed to return home.

“After more attempts at convincing her to stay, she agreed to spend the night. She put on one of his shorts and a shirt at his behest as she prepared dinner for them. It was about 10pm at this time. “When he had finished eating and their discussions had whittled away, he beckoned on her to come to him. As she did, he asked that she should caress him; she obliged but later opted out when he demanded intercourse, as she said she was no longer comfortable.

“Her rejection greatly provoked him, and he asked her to dress up and leave his house. She refused to leave and stood up to challenge him. A verbal war ensued, and he slapped her. She attacked him, and they began tussling and tugging at each other. As the scuffle subsided, he locked the door, picked up a walking cane and threatened to beat her with it. “In that window, she dialled her boyfriend’s number, and when he picked up, she tried to explain the events to him and asked him for help. He hung up and did not call back.

“She then tried to open the door, but Igbodike held her back, and they began another scrimmage. She said she screamed for help, but no one heard her, let alone rescued her.

“In the fighting, he dropped the walking cane, and she reached for it and noticed that it had a detachable holding head. She quickly detached the head and saw that a dagger was attached to it. As he made his way to her, she swung at him with the dagger, stabbing him severally, including a blow to the neck that eventually proved fatal. As he bled out, he weakened.

“She opened the door and tried to escape, but he grabbed her hair and maintained his grip even as she struggled to free herself. At this point, they had gotten out of his apartment, and the ruckus had alerted his landlord and his family.

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“The landlord alerted other neighbours, and they lifted Anthony into his own vehicle and took him to the hospital. As they were making plans to leave, they noticed Sarah frantically making a call, she was calling her boyfriend again to tell him the mess she had gotten herself into. It was about midnight at this time.

The neighbours seized her phone and locked her up in Anthony’s apartment as they left for the hospital. Some of them returned after a short while and asked her if she was not paid for her services for her to resort to stabbing her host. As she tried to explain, she was beaten up and locked up again. She spent her time in the room cleaning up the pools of blood in the apartment,” she told the police, who arrived at the scene around 1am that day.

She said it was while she was in custody that she was informed that Igbodike had died.

She also got a visit from four of his family members, who wanted to know exactly what had happened. His wife also visited the police to listen to the cause of her husband’s untimely death.

Reacting to the tragic incident, the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, advised individuals to exercise caution in their relationships and to seek peaceful conflict resolutions.

“It serves as a reminder that violence is never the answer and can lead to devastating consequences for all parties involved. The investigation into this case is ongoing,” he said.

How 26-year-old woman killed married lover in Rivers

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OPM Founder Suspends Marriage Plan for Autistic Daughter After 1,000 Applications

Published

41 minutes ago

April 17, 2026

Trends Admin

The founder of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Omega Power Ministries, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere

OPM Founder Suspends Marriage Plan for Autistic Daughter After 1,000 Applications

The founder of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Omega Power Ministries, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has announced the suspension of the proposed marriage arrangement involving his 21-year-old adopted autistic daughter, Chiemeka Chibuzor, following what he described as an overwhelming number of responses from interested suitors.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the cleric said the exercise had been halted after more than 1,000 applications were received from men expressing interest in marrying her, adding that further directives would determine the next step.

“Chiemeka Chibuzor’s wedding is hereby suspended. More than a thousand applications. No more weddings, pending further directive from me,” he wrote.

The announcement follows earlier comments by the cleric in which he publicly invited eligible men to apply, offering financial incentives and welfare support as part of the proposed arrangement. He had also outlined strict conditions for applicants, stating that interested suitors must be young and “physically and mentally fit.”

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He further disclosed that the proposed marriage package included lifetime financial support, free housing, joint property ownership, and periodic welfare monitoring by OPM officials to ensure the wellbeing of the woman.

The development generated widespread reactions online, with discussions centring on the ethical and social implications of linking financial incentives to marriage arrangements, particularly involving a vulnerable individual.

The cleric also referenced a previous OPM-supported union in which a non-verbal autistic man known as Aboy was married to an older woman earlier this year, a ceremony that attracted public attention and debate.

The latest suspension, however, signals a pause in the controversial arrangement as the church reviews the large volume of interest received.

Apostle Chinyere has not indicated when or whether the marriage proposal will be revived, stating only that the process remains on hold pending further instructions.

OPM Founder Suspends Marriage Plan for Autistic Daughter After 1,000 Applications

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Money Laundering: Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq

Published

58 minutes ago

April 17, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq

Money Laundering: Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo, has issued a bench warrant of arrest against former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and co-defendant Bashir Nura Alkali over their failure to appear in court to answer charges in an ongoing ₦37.17 billion money laundering case.

The order followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the defendants alongside Sani Nafiu Rabiu on allegations bordering on fraud, money laundering, and abuse of public funds linked to activities during Farouq’s tenure as minister.

At Thursday’s sitting in Apo, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court that an ex parte application had been filed seeking a warrant for the arrest of the defendants under Section 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, due to repeated failure to appear for arraignment.

Although the former minister was absent in court, she was represented by senior advocate Abdul Ibrahim (SAN). The third defendant, Sani Nafiu Rabiu, was present in court when the matter was called.

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The prosecution later amended its application to exclude the third defendant and proceeded with the request for a warrant of arrest against Farouq and Alkali only.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the defendants had been properly served with the charges, as evidenced by proof of service submitted to the court, but failed to present themselves for arraignment as required by law.

The judge subsequently ordered security agencies to arrest and produce the former minister and the second defendant before the court to take their plea.

The case had earlier suffered delays after the defendants failed to appear for arraignment, prompting the court to order substituted service on March 23, 2026, directing that the charges be pasted at their known addresses.

EFCC Allegations and Background of the Case

The EFCC alleges that about ₦37,170,855,753.44 was diverted through a contractor, James Okwete, during Farouq’s time in office. The funds were reportedly linked to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and allegedly moved through multiple accounts under investigation.

The anti-graft agency also stated that investigations uncovered complex financial transactions involving the contractor, which formed the basis of the money laundering charges currently before the court.

Farouq was previously invited and later detained by the EFCC in January 2024 after honouring an invitation linked to the case. She has, however, consistently denied wrongdoing, insisting she had no dealings with the contractor at the centre of the allegations.

Next Court Date

The matter has been adjourned to May 18, 2026, for arraignment, while the court directed law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with its arrest order.

Money Laundering: Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq

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Gunmen Kidnap 14 JAMB Candidates in Benue Highway Attack

Published

2 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Trends Admin

Benue State Police Commissioner, Ifeanyi Emenari

Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari

Gunmen Kidnap 14 JAMB Candidates in Benue Highway Attack

Suspected gunmen have abducted at least 14 passengers, including candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, following an attack on a commercial bus along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Benue State.

The victims were reportedly travelling in a Benue Links vehicle from Makurdi to Otukpo on Wednesday night when the bus was ambushed around 8 p.m. near Otukpo by armed attackers, who forced most of the occupants into a nearby forest.

Sources familiar with the incident said the bus was carrying about 18 passengers, largely young students heading to Otukpo to sit for the ongoing 2026 UTME examinations scheduled for Thursday.

According to one source, the attackers intercepted the vehicle and marched several passengers into the bush, while two individuals—the driver and one passenger—managed to escape.

Confirming the incident, Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, said 14 passengers were abducted, noting that one victim escaped during the attack.

The police commissioner disclosed that he is personally leading a coordinated rescue operation in the area, with Divisional Police Officers and tactical teams deployed into nearby forests to track the kidnappers and secure the victims’ release.

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“I am in Otukpo with my team, and we are already in the bush coordinating operations to rescue the victims,” he said.

Emenari also revealed that investigations have commenced into the circumstances surrounding the journey, particularly as Benue Links reportedly has a standing policy against night travel. Preliminary findings suggest the driver may have picked up passengers outside official operating hours.

Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack, stating that security agencies had been mobilised following an emergency security meeting.

“It is true. Security operatives have been deployed into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims. The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to write JAMB,” he said.

The incident has heightened concerns over the safety of candidates travelling for national examinations, especially amid rising insecurity on key highways.

The Makurdi–Otukpo road has witnessed repeated attacks in recent months, with commuters frequently targeted by kidnappers, underscoring broader security challenges in parts of Benue State and Nigeria at large.

Authorities say efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted passengers and bring the perpetrators to justice, while stakeholders continue to call for improved security measures to protect students and travellers during critical national examinations.