Rising incidences of killing for love in the country prompt women to raise the alarm for urgent intervention by the authorities and good-spirited Nigerians to stem the tide by invoking stringent measures against the crime
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
The police report of harvest of causalities resulting from killing for the sake of love has elicited serious concerns in the country, especially from women who have raised the alarm that they are dying in their numbers each time love goes sour.
The quiet and serene atmosphere of Eneka town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was jolted recently by a tragedy involving Caroline Sunday, a business woman in her early 30s from Okirika Town in Okrika Local Government Area, whose life was cut short in a cold blood in the early hours of Monday, July 13, 2026.
Eyewitness account narrated that Richard Emmanuel from Ogoloma also in Okrika Local Government Area, a man she has been living with for over four years at Eneka, murdered her. What unfolded afterwards has left the entire neighbourhood stunned and grieving and the residents grappling with disbelief, sorrow and anger as the case appears yet another devastating case of relationship gone awry.
While investigations continue, neighbours and relatives have pointed to the rising tensions in the relationship. There are suspicions that the boyfriend acted out of jealousy, repeatedly accusing Caroline of “serving another man” and pressing her to reveal who the “other man” was. The unverified suspicion appeared to have spiraled into a violent confrontation that ended the killing of the lady.
It was learnt that the tragic incident happened after the lover boy accused his lover of cheating on him. The argument and altercation between both lovers rose to a fever pitch leading to the unfortunate incident. As reported, a resident in the area said the man reached for a knife and stabbed the woman who reportedly bled to death.
One of the sympathizers among the crowd that gathered at the deceased compound following the incident, reported the incident at the Eneka Police Division as eyewitness confirmed that on arrival at the compound, a team of policemen arrested the suspect and took the remains of the lady to the morgue.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, Blessing Agabe said Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Port Harcourt for probe.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro has called on the police to ensure a thorough and unbiased investigation with a view to serving justice in the matter. “I advise young people that they should not endure toxic relationships. People should walk away from relationships because their life is more important than the relationship. You cannot be in a toxic relationship at the expense of your life,” Wiro said.
A brother of the deceased, Sunday Igbiri, lamented that he was still in shock that Caroline died in the hands of a Yahoo boy who manipulated her and wanted to use her for Yahoo plus. But unfortunately for him, he got caught by the Police, adding that the boy’s parents had ignored them up till that moment.
He called on FIDA, Police and concerned citizens to come to their assistance because the family of the killer boy is trying to manipulate the process because they feel they are poor and helpless.
Similarly, a tricycle rider known as I.K is accused of beating his lover to death and leaving her body with her two children.
According to reports, the incident happened on June 20, 2026 along CPM Street in Ogbogoro Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
According to sources, the suspect reportedly placed the lady’s body and the children inside a tricycle before leaving the scene after the woman was badly beaten and died.
Neighbours were notified early in the morning following the finding of a dead mother and two children inside a parked tricycle, according to a source who volunteered to Tentacle.
According to the source, the police at Ozuoba Division in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area were notified of the situation. He continued by saying that the older child reported to the police that on Monday night, while staying at a guest house, the suspect, their father beat their mother with an object before running away.
The youngster claims that as the wife grew weak, the man abandoned her, leaving her body and two kids in the tricycle.
Officers got a distress report from a bystander who found the woman and children inside a blue tricycle, according to Police Public Relations Officer Blessing Agaebe, who confirmed the gruesome occurrence.
The women and the two children who were roughly two years and six months old were discovered dead when a police squad arrived at the scene noting that the five-year-old told the story of how his father attacked the mother in the middle of the night and then tried to transport her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The perpetrator left the kids there and ran away, following the event, the police spokeswoman continued.
The body has been deposited in a morgue for preservation and investigation, she said, the deceased’s family has been contacted while attempts are on to apprehend the fugitive culprit, the police have confirmed that a relative has placed the children in protective custody.
In a related development, a young woman identified as Chinasa has reportedly lost her life under disturbing circumstances in Nkpor, Anambra State. According to reports her boyfriend, Ifechukwu allegedly killed her and buried her behind his compound and later used her phone to contact her family, claiming she had been kidnapped and demanding ₦2 million ransom.
Tentacle gathered that Ifechukwu, a bricklayer, has been dating Chinasa, a nurse for years but turned down his proposal for marriage. Chinasa told him that she cannot marry him although she loves him and they have been dating for some years now. He got angry and started beating Chinasa till she died. He was later arrested and confessed to killing and burying her. He is currently cooling off at Anambra State CID Awka.
Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man, Malime Ejor has been arrested for alleged killing of his girlfriend, Lucy Igu, over alleged infidelity in Cross River State community.
Locals in the community confirmed that the incident occurred in the early hours after the suspect allegedly attacked the 26-year-old woman at a farm in Nwang Village, Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.
A resident, who preferred anonymity, said, “We heard the commotion and noise and rushed to the scene, but we were unable to prevent the situation because he was already using a machete on her”.
He reported that a heated argument broke out between the man and his lover over accusation of extramarital affair which escalated into violence, during which the suspect allegedly attacked her, leading to her death.
The suspect, peasant farmer, Tentacle further learnt was allegedly previously accused in Lagos, where he was resident also wanted for murder and involvement in illicit narcotic substances, escaped and went back to his Nwang Community, three years ago where he met and fell in love with the victim.
The villagers confirmed that the relationship had remained checkered due to frequent fights largely because of accusations of infidelity against Lucy by Sunday, even as he had failed to fulfil the marriage rites.
