A man identified as Obum has allegedly stabbed a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Thompson Thomas Ugochukwu Onyekuru, to death in Imo State.
The tragic incident happened at Umuokoto town in Umudibia Autonomous community in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that Obum, who hailed from Obowo in Imo State, stabbed his wife, Ogechi, with a knife during a bitter argument.
Obum, who is suspected to be mentally unstable, had allegedly locked his wife and her baby in their room where he stabbed her several times.
According to Daily Trust, he accused the wife of trying to kill their only surviving son out of the three children they had since they got married in 2016, claiming she was also responsible for the hardship he was facing.
An eyewitness said the incident started around 4 pm when Obum’s wife, Ogechi, and her one-year-old son were heard screaming for help. The late pastor and other neighbours waded in to prevent Obum from killing his wife.
“As the crowd intensified effort to rescue the woman, Obum with a knife, threatened to kill anyone who tried to stop his action,” one of the eyewitnesses told the publication.
After successfully rescuing the woman from her husband’s grip, Obum became enraged and started chasing everybody with the blood-stained knife. As Onyekuru made to go, Obum stabbed him at the back.
A passing police patrol team was called to the scene, but he attacked the policemen who were attempting to arrest him. The police then shot him in the leg in order to subdue him.
Obum and Onyekuru were subsequently taken to the hospital where two of them died. The fate of the seriously wounded wife of Obum is unclear.
The President-General of Umuokoto Community Council (UCC), Hon. Charles Anozie, who confirmed the incident, said Obum and the pastor were taken to the hospital where they later died.
