A man suspected to be mentally unstable allegedly stabbed a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Thompson Thomas Ugochukwu Onyekuru, to death in Imo State.
It was gathered that the tragic incident happened at Umuokoto town in Umudibia Autonomous community in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.
According to Daily Trust, the mentally unstable man, identified as Obum had allegedly locked his wife and her baby in a room where he stabbed her several times after accusing her of trying to kill their only surviving son out of the three children they had since they got married in 2016.
Obum, who hailed from Obowo in Imo State, claimed the wife 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 newspaper.
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.
Unconfirmed report said Obum’s wife also later died.
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.