New Telegraph

Man beats ‘baby mama’ to death in Bayelsa

  • Wife arrested over lecturer’s murder

 

A 27-year-old man, Promise Oliver David, yesterday allegedly beat to death his 18-year-old ‘baby mama’ (mother of his child), Miss Esther Pascal, during a quarrel in Bayelsa State.

 

This came as the police have arrested a housewife, Mrs. Eniye Zuokemefa Peter, for alleged complicity in the last weekend killing on her husband who was a lecturer at the Bayelsa College of Education in Sagbama, Enebraye Zuokemefa Peter. Pascal, who had a two-yearold daughter, was beaten to death about midnight at their residence on Ebis Road, Yenagoa. The suspect, David, works at the Bolex car wash.

 

The fight, it was learnt, broke out between the two lovers because of argument over money for feeding and welfare of the family. “By the time a few of us got to their door, it was locked from inside. But we forced it open and met the deceased on the floor.

 

We quickly tried to revive her with water, thinking she fainted. But we discovered that she was dead. We immediately apprehended the man and alerted the police,” a resident of the area said.

 

While some residents claimed David used a heavy object to hit Pascal on the head, others said she was dealt heavy blows. Officials of the Gender Response Initiative established by the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Glory Diri, have visited the scene of the crime. The Deputy Coordinator of the Gender Response Initiative, Dise Sheila Ogbise, described the incident as unfortunate.

 

Ogbise called for more advocacy to end issues of domestic violence and violence against the girl-child. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, confirmed Pascal’s death. The PPRO said the suspect was arrested by the operatives of the Ekeki Police Division while further investigation was ongoing.

 

The lecturer’s widow, Eniye, was arrested on Sunday night based on petitions from the relations of the deceased as well as previous complaints of threats to his life by the deceased over alleged infidelity and because Enebraye reportedly had two children outside marriage.

 

 

It was learnt that Enebraye was shot three times on Friday after transacting a business at a Point of Sale (POS) on the old Assembly Quarters Road at Ekeki area of Yenagoa.

 

One of the relations, who pleaded anonymity, said the suspect, Eniye, had on several occasions threatened to kill her husband over allegation of fathering children outside their marriage due to her inability to bear a child.

 

According to the relation, Eniye packed out of her matrimonial home on several occasions but they recently made up when the deceased returned to Yenagoa from a study trip abroad. It was also learnt that the lecturer had in the past came under armed attacks at his home.

 

“He was always heard telling family members and close friends to hold his wife responsible if anything happened to him,’’ the relation said. Sources said the police were on the trail of four people suspected to have killed the lecturer and were last seen driving a red Toyota.

 

“The vehicle was seen moving suspiciously around the residence of the deceased and were later seen sharing money at a drinking spot a few metres from the scene of the crime,” a source said. The PPRO, Butswat, confirmed Eniye’s arrest. The police image maker, however, said the woman was arrested based on ‘previous threats’.

 

Already, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on security agencies and the state Governor, Douye Diri, to fish out the killers of Enebraye, described as an Ijaw youth leader.

 

In a statement, the IYC President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, described lecturer’s murder as barbaric, unacceptable and irresponsible. Igbifa said the deceased was a firm believer in Ijaw cause, an apostle of peace and a scholar, who never deserved to die in such a violent manner.

 

He said Enebraye was one of the staunch members of the IYC, who once contested the presidency and secretarial position of the council. The IYC president added that the late lecturer pursued all his ambitions peacefully without resort to violence.

 

Igbifa noted that the IYC, under his leadership, would not accept anything other than thorough investigations into the circumstances that led to Enebraye’s killing, unmasking the gunmen and prosecuting them.

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