*How Prime Suspect Was Arrested By Umeh Youths
*Uses Proceeds To Buy Musical Instruments
By Onome Oghenetega
The body of a 50-year-old Ms Patience Komone who was declared missing by family has been found dead in a bush at Umeh community of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The decomposing body of the middle-aged woman was found on Tuesday. The deceased was murdered by a 17-year-old boy identified as Onoriode Simon Akpoavirhi.
It was gathered that Umeh community youths irked by the incident immediately dispatched some youths in the community to investigate the incident and one Onoriode Simon Akpoavirhi was discovered to have been the last person seen with the deceased.
The community youths thereafter apprehended the suspect and interrogated him where he confessed to taking the woman to a pepper farm with his motorcycle under the guise of wanting to sell fresh pepper to her.
It was further learnt that the suspect confessed that he stole the deceased’s money after killing her to buy some musical instrument.
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“The suspect confessed Umeh community youths that he killed the woman. According to the suspect, he took the woman to a pepper farm in the bush to enable the woman buys fresh pepper directly from the farm not knowing that the he had a different agenda.
“It was at the location he took the woman where he killed her and thereafter stole her money and other belongings which he used to immediately to buy musical instruments. He was handed over to police in Oleh by the community. We’ve never experienced this kind of crime Umeh”, one of the sources said.
A relation of the deceased confirmed the discovery of the decomposing body of the deceased to NIGER DELTA TODAY (NDT) Online on Tuesday evening.
Also confirming the incident, a prominent leader of Umeh community, Chief Duncan Afahokor, said the suspect was arrested by youths in the community who saw the deceased with the suspect
While condemning the incident, Chief Afahokor assured that Umeh community will work with the family of the deceased to ensure that justice is served in the case.
“It’s a taboo in the community. The community will collaborate with the family of the deceased to ensure that justice is done in the case. This is an abomination. I’m heartbroken by this despicable development.
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“This gruesome murder is alien to Umeh people hence the suspect was speedily investigated and arrested before being handed over to the police without any attempt to cover it up.
“Umeh people are very hospitable but this bad element has brought us shame. We’ll never harbour criminals in our community hence we will ensure that justice must be served in this case to deter other criminal elements. We commiserate with the family of the deceased”, Afahokor added.
Similarly, a traditional chief in Umeh Kingdom, who do not want to be mentioned, told our correspondent that the crime was a seriously traditional taboo that requires traditional cleansing in the community.
Ms Patience, a native of Otughievwen in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state, was declared missing last week.
The deceased had been missing since Tuesday 27 July after attending the popular foodcrop market in Umeh, an agrarian community along the Ughelli/Patani section of the East-West Road.
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A family member who confirmed discovery of decomposing body to our correspondent said, “It’s all over. They’ve found her decomposing body in Umeh (where she had gone for market on Tuesday).
“They tracked the prime suspect, Okada man, who was last seen taking her from the market that Tuesday.”
The Delta Police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the discovery of the decomposing body of the woman but could not give details.
He added that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of the woman.
It’s a pity that such happened in my community