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Family of slain 8-year-old girl demands justice, as Police re-arrest killer in Jos

By Kelvin Ebiri and Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt
09 September 2017   |   4:40 am
The family of eight-year-old Chikamso Mezuwuba, who was murdered in Port Harcourt 20 days ago by a ritualist, has demanded justice, following the re-arrest of her killer, Ifeanyi Dike, yesterday morning in far away Plateau State by men of the state Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Peter Ogunyanwo, who paraded him, said that Dike was arrested in Barkin Ladi town and would be transferred to Port Harcourt to face trial there.

The family of eight-year-old Chikamso Mezuwuba, who was murdered in Port Harcourt 20 days ago by a ritualist, has demanded justice, following the re-arrest of her killer, Ifeanyi Dike, yesterday morning in far away Plateau State by men of the state Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Dike, an undergraduate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), killed Chikamso, on August 19, this year, and was arrested and handed over to the Police.

He later escaped under suspicious circumstances from the custody of a Police officer, Johnbosco Okoroeze, who has been dismissed from the Force and is now facing a two-count charge bordering on assisting the escape of a suspect and perversion of justice against a murder suspect.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Peter Ogunyanwo, who paraded him, said that Dike was arrested in Barkin Ladi town and would be transferred to Port Harcourt to face trial there.

The Guardian gathered that Ifeanyi, who was declared wanted by the Rivers State Police Command, had on Thursday broken into a home in Jos, Plateau State, as the owner of the house was not around, entered the kitchen and served himself food.

The owner was said to have returned home, only to meet him helping himself with his food.Surprised at Dike’s uninvited presence in his home, the owner became agitated, demanded to know how he entered his apartment, resulting in his interrogation and an altercation.

Sensing that the man was going to raise an alarm, Dike allegedly grabbed a knife inside the house and stabbed him.Afraid that he might be stabbed to death and in a bid to save his life, the injured man raised an alarm that alerted people within the neighbourhood, who quickly rushed to his house.

On reaching there, the neighbours met Dike, overpowered and disarmed him before calling in the Police, who then arrested and took him away.The Guardian gathered that since the initial crime bordered on breaking and illegal entry, he was handed over to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

It was further gathered that amidst intensive interrogation, Dike gave them the phone number of his elder sister with whom he was living in Port Harcourt.

The SARS officers thereafter called his sister to inquire if she knew one Ifeanyi Dike. His shocked sister was said to have affirmed knowing him and implored the Police to ensure he does not escape, because he was wanted in Port Harcourt for the murder of an eight-year-old child.

The mother of the slain child, Mrs. Lucy Mezuwuba, told The Guardian that it was Ifeanyi’s sister that called her husband to notify him of the re-arrest of her wanted brother by the Police in Jos.

“When she called my husband, he asked her if she was sure of what she was saying. She responded that she got a call from SARS office in Jos. “My husband then called Jos to confirm. Afterwards, he called the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Rivers State. And to verify the veracity of the information, my husband then forwarded the number to the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

“The Deputy Commissioner of Police collected the SARS number to confirm the report of the arrest and they confirmed to him that someone like that was in their custody.

“When the Deputy Commissioner of Police called back my husband, he demanded that they should take a photograph of Ifeanyi and send it through WhatsApp, and they did just that and it was Ifeanyi for real.

“We are grateful to God, because it was God that made it possible for Ifeanyi to be apprehended. Considering the distance he reached, he would have escaped, if not for God. The God we serve never sleeps nor slumbers.

“Ifeanyi should be made to face the full wrath of the law, so that he will die the way he killed my daughter. They should cripple him, so that he doesn’t escape again,” she said.

The Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Nnamdi Omoni, while confirming the arrest of Dike, said the command had dispatched its men to Jos to bring the suspect back to Port Harcourt to face trial.

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