N.5m bounty placed by Peterside for wanted murder suspect
Dike, a 200-level student of the University of
Port Harcourt, was earlier arrested by the police in connection with the gruesome
murder of an eight-year-old Miss Victory Chikamso Nmezuwuba.
The fleeing
felon is also accused of raping the minor and cutting some vital parts of her
body in what is being alleged to be for ritual purpose.
Peterside, who spoke through his Media Team,
expressed worry over the ugly incidents and cautioned that the fleeing Dike
remained a threat to the people of Rivers and neighbouring states.
“We must all
rise and condemn this heinous crime. What could an eight-year-old girl have
done to deserve this wicked act? What kind of future are we trying to give our
children? Are we trying to say that our girls are no longer safe? Are we saying
that our girls do not have future?
“Please, I
do not want my action to be seen through a political prism. The dastardly act
should be a concern for all of us as Rivers people. Let us join hands with the
police and ensure the re-arrest of Ifeanyi Dike,” he added.
Peterside,
who is also the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency called on the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and other
sister security agencies to leave no stone unturned in their effort towards the
re-arrest of the suspect.
Meanwhile, doors and gates of some houses on
Messiah Close in Eliozu axis of Port Harcourt have remained locked since the
suspected ritual killer escaped from police custody.
It was
gathered that parents living within the place, who became afraid when they
learnt that Dike, had fled from the State Criminal Investigation Department,
decided to keep their children indoors while they attend to their businesses.
A resident
of Messiah Close, who identified himself as Donatus, observed that though
school children were currently on vacation, it was obvious that the abduction
of Chikamso, her eventual murder and the escape of the culprit had forced most
people living within the close to keep their gates locked.
“We were
afraid since the incident happened and the moment we heard that Ifeanyi Dike
had escaped from the police, some people staying here are afraid. For me, I
don’t want to leave anything to chance. That is why I have also ensured that my
doors and our gate are locked.
Our
correspondent, who was at No. 7, Messiah Close, where the suspect was living
before he allegedly killed Chikamso in his room, observed that the entrance to
the building was locked while the landlord and his family had gone out of the
compound.
A resident
of the area, who identified herself as Cynthia, said they had been living in
fear since last Saturday when the news of the incident came to their knowledge.
She recalled
that some security agents had visited the house where the fleeing suspect was
staying, but could not gain entrance because the gate had been locked by the
landlord.
Meanwhile,
the mother of the deceased, Mrs. Lucy Nmezuwuba, vowed that those involved in
the death of her eight-year-old daughter, including the dismissed police
sergeant, Johnbosco, would pay for their action.
“They
(Police) should come and ask me how old I am, where will I bring another child
to replace this one? Am I still a young mother? Where will I get another child
to replace this one?
“The police
have the mind to allow Ifeanyi to escape so that my daughter would just go like
that. God is watching them. The blood of Victory Chikamso shall continue to
follow each of them. Victory cannot just die like that.
“The God
that created her will not allow her killers and the accomplices to go scot
free. God shall make all of them pay for her death, from their biggest Oga to
the lowest, Johnbosco. The police shall all pay for it,” she said.
“One Chief Ugochukwu was mentioned by Ifeanyi
and everyone has been silence about it. The police did not say let us go and
investigate or arrest Ugochukwu or even invite him for questioning. Nobody is
talking about Ugochukwu.
“I suspect
foul play from the police; a very serious foul play. From Okporo Police
Station, they hurriedly transferred the case to state CID so that they could
sweep it under carpet. Can you imagine that it is at the State CID that a
murderer, a rapist escape!”
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