Panic gripped residents of Okereke Street in Mile 1, Diobu, Port Harcourt, on Sunday night after a man, popularly known as Doctor, allegedly stabbed his lover, Ima, to death during a heated quarrel over infidelity.
Eyewitnesses said trouble started when the man accused Ima of cheating. Their disagreement quickly escalated into a violent confrontation.
In the heat of the argument, the man reportedly grabbed a knife and stabbed her.
She collapsed and died from excessive bleeding before help could arrive.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the chaos attracted a large crowd within the compound.
The caretaker immediately rushed to the Azikiwe Police Division in Mile 2, Diobu, to file a complaint. Police officers later arrested the suspect on the spot.
By Monday morning, sympathisers and curious onlookers thronged the Azikiwe Police Division when officers brought Ima’s body to the station.
Dhortly afterward, policemen conveyed the corpse to a mortuary in Port Harcourt.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the arrest.
She revealed that the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, had ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for a discreet probe.
Meanwhile, rights activist and National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, expressed deep concern over the killing.
He condemned the act and warned young people against remaining in toxic relationships.
“This morning, I saw a large crowd at the Azikiwe Police Division. I was told a man had been arrested for killing his lover. As a civil society organisation, we strongly condemn this.
No one has the right to take another’s life, no matter the situation. We call on the Police to investigate thoroughly and deliver justice,” he said.
Wiro also urged young people to value their lives over toxic relationships.
“There is no relationship worth your life. People must learn to walk away from situations that endanger their safety,” he added.
The case now rests with the SCIID as investigations continue, while residents remain shocked by the tragic incident that has thrown the Mile 1 Diobu community into mourning.