Metro

Woman, 26, Stabs Man Dead Over Demand For More Sex

Published

2 years ago

January 20, 2024

Editor

Twenty-six-year-old Sarah Nwankpo is now cooling her heels in the custody of the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department. It was for the murder of her male friend, Igbodike Anthony, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

She admitted to having stabbed the deceased during an argument over more sex, in his apartment Obiri-Ikwerre area residence.

During interrogation, it was discovered that she had sneaked out of her boyfriend’s place for the deceased’s residence on December 22, 2023.

Sarah is a Senior Secondary School 3 drop-out who left her hometown in Ezza South Local Government in Ebonyi State, in 2016, in search of greener pastures.

Invitation of death

The incident, as gathered, occurred four months after she moved into Port Harcourt. She claimed that the deceased had been disturbing her with calls to visit him.

She said: “I met him (late Igbodike ) in 2017, in Enugu. When I left my hometown, I went to Enugu where I had two children for a man. I left Enugu for Port Harcourt in August 2023.

“In Port Harcourt, I started dating a man, Joe Ibanga. But I always received calls from Anthony, inviting me to come visit him. Sometimes he sent me money for transport. But I declined because of my relationship with Ibanga.

“On December 22, 2023, he called again and invited me to come over to his place.

“I took an Okada (commercial motorbike) from my residence in Aluu, to meet with Anthony at Kilimanjaro, by Choba junction. He paid the okada rider N500.”

She further stated that she accompanied him to pay his staff their salary for December.

Continuing, she said: “Thereafter, he took me out for shopping on groceries. We went to his apartment at Mercy-land extension, Obiri-Ikwerre. He told me to prepare a meal for him. He had his shower, ate and we had sex. We recorded the sessions for keeps.”

During discussion, she said when she opened up on her affairs with Ibanga, “he laughed at the idea of me dealing with the challenges of raising children and struggling with a relationship that was not financially rewarding.”

“He offered to help me out of poverty if I discontinued my relationship with Ibanga and married him instead.

“He assured me he would offer me a job in his establishment in January 2024 and that he would make me a Manager at his firm. I agreed to visit him again after a week so that we could begin plans to live our lives together.”

However, she stated that a few minutes later, the enthusiasm to pitch a tent with Anthony died, thereby prompting her to announce that she would be leaving his house that evening.

She said: “When I informed him about the sudden change in feeling, he suggested we go to a club and buy shawarma. But I refused, insisting that I wanted to go home.

“After much persuasion from him to spend the night with him, I agreed. I put on one of his pairs of shorts and a shirt and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for us.

“When he finished eating, he told me to caress him. I obliged but later opted out when he demanded sex. I told him I was no longer comfortable.

“My rejection provoked him. He told me to dress up and leave his house. By then it was 10 p.m. I refused to leave and stood up to challenge him. A verbal war ensued.

“He slapped me. I reacted and a fight ensued. He locked the door, picked up a walking cane and threatened to beat me with it.

“In my confused state, I dialed my boyfriend’s number (Ibanga) and tried to explain to him what was happening and begged him to come for my help. But he hung up and never called back.

“Anthony held me as I tried to open the door. I screamed for help, but no one heard me let alone to rescue me. During the fight, he dropped the walking cane. I reached out for it and noticed that it had a detachable holding head.

“I quickly detached the head and saw that a dagger was attached to it. As he charged at me, I stabbed him with the dagger,” she said.

VANGUARD gathered that her attempt to escape from the scene and abandon the bleeding man was resisted, as Anthony held her hair with all his might.

As she made to step out of the apartment and at the same time struggling to release his grip from her head, the owner of the building and his family members were alerted. They were said to have raised the alarm that jostled other occupants from sleep.

While efforts were being made to rush the dying man to the hospital, some tenants overheard the suspect making calls. They seized her phone and locked her up in the victim’s apartment, until the arrival of a team of policemen at about 1 a.m. of December 23, 2023.

The suspect was taken into custody where news of the death of Igbodike’s death reached her.

It was also gathered that while in police custody, some family members of the deceased visited her to know how their breadwinner died.

The widow of the deceased was also said to have visited the State CID for an explanation of how her husband died.

Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command, CP Olatunji Disu, who reacted to the incident, called for caution and restraint in every relationship.

He said, “This 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.”

Metro

Edo Assembly Declares Okpebholo’s Projects Unprecedented

Published

3 days ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

The Edo State House of Assembly has described projects embarked upon by Governor Monday Okpebholo as unprecedented in the history of Edo State.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Atu Osamwonyi, made the assertion when he led members of the legislature on a comprehensive oversight inspection of several ongoing infrastructural projects.

Other lawmakers on the oversight team included Hon. Addeh Isibor, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, and Hon. Ugabi Kingsley.

Hon. Osamwonyi, who spoke during an assessment tour of the Sapele Road Flyover, said the lawmakers were in the field to verify the progress of work and ensure that funds appropriated by the Assembly were being judiciously utilised.

According to him, the flyover represents a milestone for Benin City and reflects the governor’s commitment to infrastructural renewal.

He emphasised that unlike past administrations where funds were approved with no tangible results, the Okpebholo-led government had demonstrated transparency and visible delivery.

“In my entire life in Edo State, this flyover project is the first of its kind. We are here physically, and work is ongoing,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker added that the Assembly had earlier inspected the Ramat Park Flyover on Monday, noting similar levels of progress.

“This is the fifth site we have visited since yesterday. We are impressed with what we have seen so far, and as a House, we will stand by the governor to ensure he finishes strong,” he said.

At Ogheghe, Old Sapele Road and Ekae Road—where a 14-kilometre road and concrete drainage network is underway—Hon. Osamwonyi described the construction efforts as unprecedented, expressing astonishment at the level of work done within a short period.

He insisted that the legislature does not play politics with accountability and would speak the truth at all times.

“If Governor Okpebholo was not doing well, we would say it. But I stand here today to affirm that the funds appropriated are being used judiciously for the benefit of the people.l”, he noted.

He further remarked that despite limited financial resources, the governor had delivered projects many believed were impossible.

The Deputy Speaker recalled that several communities, particularly in Ogheghe, previously suffered from severe road degradation that made access impossible, even for motorcycles.

“But today we are standing here with joy. The governor has brought democracy to Edo in a way the people can feel,” he said.

According to him, contractors handling the projects confirmed that although the initial timeline was two years, work would likely be completed within one year and six months due to the speed of implementation.

“That tells you that Governor Okpebholo is not eating Edo people’s money,” he added.

Hon. Osamwonyi stressed that the Assembly would resist any attempt to derail the governor’s momentum.

“This is the continuity we want in Edo State. Anybody who wants to thwart the governor’s efforts, we will not agree,” he said.

The oversight team also visited the 5.86-kilometre road project linking Amagba and Obagie-N’Ebvuosa, where the engineer handling the project reported that 4.3 kilometres of drainage had already been completed.

Metro

Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

Published

4 days ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.

Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.

The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.

“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.

The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.

NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.

“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.

“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.

“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.

“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.

Metro

One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

Published

4 days ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.

Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.

“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.

“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.

“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.

“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.

In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.

A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.

“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.

“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.

“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.

“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.

The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.