Police arrest man who kills a pregnant woman to use her for rituals

Akwa Ibom State Police Command has
arrested a 28-year old man, Edet Asuquo, from
Ikot Otu in the Itu Local Government Area for
allegedly murdering a pregnant woman.
The deceased, who came from Cross River State and
whose identity is unknown, was said to be a
customer to Asuquo who deals in oysters.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia
Nwawe, said on Wednesday that the suspect,
having sold the first part of his seafood to the
pregnant woman, lured her to his home claiming
that he had abundance of oysters at a cheaper rate.
According to her, on Monday, January 11, the
woman had innocently followed Asuquo to his
home, where she was killed and her corpse hidden
near a plantain tree on the premises.
The police said the suspect and four others at large
wanted to remove the foetus from the woman’s
wombs at night.
She said, “The suspect and those at large were
contracted by a village leader for N50,000, to kill a
pregnant woman and remove the woman’s head
and the foetus for ritual pur

pose.
“Luck, however, ran out on them as Asuquo’s
sister reported the matter to their elder brother,
who invited the police.
“The pregnant mother had gone to the market to
buy oysters from Asuquo. The man lured her to
his house to buy more oysters. The unsuspecting
pregnant woman was murdered there.”
Asuquo, confessed to the crime, saying a leader in
his village gave a job to him and his friends to kill
a pregnant woman for N250,000 so that he could
use the foetus for sacrifice.
He said, “We are five that were asked to kill a
pregnant woman so that her head and her unborn
child would be removed and used for ritual
purpose.
“He told us that after we have carried out the job,
he will give each one of us N50,000. He did not
give us any advance payment. After we had done
the job, my sister reported the matter to my elder
brother, who in turn called the police.”