- Says victim appeared to him in wild animal’s form
With his fairly hairy hands deeply locked within his shivering knees, his head bowed low and hot tears cascading down his cheeks, 18-year-old Chukwudi Ijeoma, who allegedly raped a mother of four after killing her, pleaded for mercy, saying he was pushed by the devil to commit the heinous crime.
By mere observation, one may not be able to tell the veracity of the accusation, which the suspect laid on the devil, but the outburst, profuse wailing and feeling of personal disappointment that characterized his plea were somewhat strong enough to split a heart of stone.
Obviously, the 18-year-old lad wished he was dreaming. He wished he could wind back the mighty hands of time, and be free, at least to shun crime or perhaps, seek stronger spiritual forces that could upturn what has apparently become his misfortune.
But fortune –the final determinant of a man’s destiny – was no longer smiling on him. A worse fear still is that it may never smile on him! Such was the pathetic situation of Chukwudi Ijeoma, the suspected killer of a 27-year-old woman, identified as Blessing Ogammer. Ogammer was said to have gone to Aboh town in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State to carry out her plantain trade before the incident that led to her untimely death occurred.
It was gathered that until her gruesome murder by the teenager, Blessing, wife of one Mr. Felix Ogammer, resided at Akala Street, Utagba-Uno road, Kwale in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state.
Just days after committing the crime, Ijeoma was arrested by men of the Nigeria Police attached to the Aboh station.
Although he readily admitted committing the alleged homicide, Ijeoma claimed that the act was as a result of his incessant manipulation by an evil spiritual force, which he called the devil.
Claims of devil’s appearance
The suspect, Ijeoma, claimed that the devil often appeared to him physically and made him to indulge in some unbelievable acts.
He told our correspondent at the state Police Command Headquarters in Asaba that whenever the devil appeared to him, he usually saw image of a wild animal trying to attack him, thereby forcing him to fight back.
Ijeoma said that although he tried to put his parents in the know concerning his experience, they usually trivialized and dismissed his fears as a figment of his imagination or, more euphemistically, a dream.
He said, “I have been seeing this evil spirit physically for some time now. The devil often appeared to me and when it did, it always made me to do things that I will not do when I am in my right senses.
“On many occasions, I told my parents about my experience but they hardly believed me; sometimes, they would say it was just a dream, while at some other times, they would say it was my imagination. But I knew what I was passing through.” How I abandoned Christian faith
“I used to worship at Gospel Faith Mission in Port Harcourt and I always received prayers from the pastor there. But when I came to the village (Aboh town), some of my village brothers and friends pushed me into traditional and fetish practices.
“That was not what I promised God; I never promised to serve any oracle or idol”, the suspect lamented.
How I killed my victim
Ijeoma said he was in the village (Aboh town) at the time when the said evil spirit came upon him.
He revealed that the evil spirit tormented him in an uncanny manner; the aftermath of which was his killing of the housewife and plantain seller, Blessing Ogammer.
“As I was standing, something just entered me and I started seeing different things. I could not just tell anyone about what I was seeing but the force kept on pushing me until we got to a bush (path).
“When we got to the bush, I saw that the thing became an animal and was about attacking me; so, I started fighting with it. I wasted a lot of time in that place fighting that thing, but it seemed my strength was more than that of the thing I was fighting.
“The only thing I could hear during the fight was the “blood of Jesus,” but I could not tell where the voice was coming from.
“I fought the thing with my bare hands, I didn’t use any weapon. When I realized everything, I saw myself and the woman naked and I started crying because I realized I had been fighting with a human being.
My pastor gave me away
“Immediately I realized what has happened, I ran straight to my pastor to inform him of what has happened. I didn’t hide anything from him.
I also called one pastor in Lagos, although I don’t know him personally. I saw his number on the television (screen) and called him; he has been praying for me since for God to deliver me from the evil spirit.
It was my pastor, who I told about the crime, that informed the community people and that was how everything became public”, the suspect added.
Police move in on suspect
According to the police, the corpse of the deceased, who was reported missing by her husband, Felix Ogammer, was found in the bush at the end of Ogbegonogo Street in Aboh town.
“The deceased was said to have gone to Aboh town to trade on plantain before she went missing and subsequently her corpse was discovered. “Sequel to the development, detectives commenced discreet investigation and on September 6, 2016, arrested one Chukwudi Ijeoma ‘m’, 18 years, of Johnny’s compound, Ogbegonogo Street, Aboh in connection with the heinous crime.
The suspect allegedly confessed to raping and killing the victim, citing some spiritual influence”, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim Mohammed said.
The police boss added that investigation into the matter was still ongoing.
