Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested a woman, Mrs. Prisca David, for allegedly killing her stepdaughter, Veronica David.
The killing, which happened on Friday at Ogwuaga-Abba, in the Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, reportedly threw the community into mourning.
It was learnt that the victim’s father, Mr. Damian David, a security guard with a Port Harcourt, Rivers State-based businessman, Johnbosco Ozugbo, was also arrested by the police.
Damian was arrested along with one John, an accomplice. A resident, Chima Egbu, told our correspondent on Sunday that after Prisca beat the 13-year-old to death, her husband, who also joined in the assault, called John to tie a rope around her neck to create an impression of suicide.
He said, “The man got married to Prisca after the girl’s mother died. They had always maltreated the girl. They were beating her that Friday morning as usual when she slumped and died.
“In a bid to escape justice, the husband called John to help them to tie a rope around the girl’s neck so that people would think the girl committed suicide.
“But neighbours, who suspected foul play, alerted the police at the Nwangele divisional headquarters. The couple were arrested and the corpse retrieved. The third suspect, John, was later arrested.”
Ozugbo, who confirmed the development to our correspondent on Sunday, said he was alerted by a resident that the wife of his security guard, Prisca, allegedly murdered her stepdaughter with the connivance of the husband.
He said he contacted policemen at Nwangele, who arrested the suspects and recovered the corpse.
“My security guard called me that his daughter committed suicide and he needed me to pay his salary in advance so he could take her corpse to Taraba for burial. I was worried about how a 13-year-old girl would take her own life.
“On enquiry, I was told that his wife, Prisca, hit a plank on the girl’s head and she died. A boy in the compound told me that he saw the woman when she did it.
“I quickly involved the police and the couple were arrested. The boy who said he saw the woman kill her stepdaughter went with them to the police station to put it in writing. The corpse is ready for autopsy. I will ensure that justice is served,” Ozugbo said.
The state Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, said he had ordered the homicide section of the command to take over the matter.
