Photo: Usman Alkali Police IG
The Imo State Police Command has confirmed the death of Pastor Thompson Onyekwuru of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in the state, who was allegedly stabbed to death while trying to separate a fight between a husband and his wife.
The command’s spokesman, Mike Abattam, a Superintendent of Police, in a statement said that the incident occurred at Umukoto Nekede in the state capital, Owerri.
According to the statement, the 62-year-old pastor was trying to prevent the husband, Obumneke Onyemechileuzo, from stabbing his wife, Ogechi Onyemechileuzo, when he was allegedly killed. It said the husband later died of gunshot wound he sustained during police arrest.
The statement reads in full:
“Following a distress call on 19/7/2021 at about 1400 hours, at the Divisional Police Headquarters Nekede, Owerri, that one Obumneke Onyemechileuzo armed with a kitchen knife was beating his wife, Ogechi Favour Onyemechileuzo.
When a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church Owerri, Pastor Thompson Onyekwuru, intervened by stopping him from stabbing his wife, the suspect rushed at him, stabbed him on his back and he fell down unconscious.
“On arrival at the scene, the police team saw the suspect seriously beating his wife, threatening to stab her and ran to prevent him from stabbing his wife. On sighting the police, he attempted stabbing one of the officers on the neck and he was shot on the leg in self-defence. He fell down and was immediately disarmed.
“But the victims and the suspect were rushed to Rosana hospital where the doctor on call referred the victims to Human Race Hospital, where the pastor and the suspect were confirmed dead. The woman was admitted in the intensive care unit of the hospital and she is responding to treatment, while the corpses were later deposited at Agbala Mortuary, Agbala.”
Abattam further explained that the exhibit knife which the police recovered from the suspect was taken to the station, adding that a discreet investigation into the case to unravel the cause of the incident would be carried out by the police.
The statement also said that the state Commissioner of Police admonished members of the community to maintain peace, be law-abiding and go about their legitimate businesses pending the outcome of the investigation.
