Methodist Youth Cry For Justice Over Leader’s Murder In Rivers

The National Youth Fellowship of the Methodist Church Nigeria has demanded justice over the rape and murder of its member, Amb. Success Anosike, who, until her death, was the Youth Secretary of the Oyigbo Circuit in Ndoki-Asa Diocese of Rivers State.

Anosike was allegedly raped and strangled to death in her apartment at Oyigbo on Monday night by a man who had been harassing her for months.

A family friend to the deceased, Torty Mercy, raised the alarm in a series of posts on her X, calling on the Nigeria Police to ensure justice.

“Nigerians, I need your help!!! Please help me call on @PoliceNG. I’m heartbroken as I type this. My family friend was raped and strangled to death in her room at Obigbo, Port Harcourt, on Monday night. Everyone in the compound ran away.

“Ugochi and her sisters are helpless orphans who have nobody to fight for them. I’m not posting her full pictures because of the traumatic experience and how it will affect her siblings.

“We are ready to work with the police to unravel the killer or killers,” she wrote.

She said the matter was being handled by the Oyigbo Police Station, and that Anosike’s body had been deposited in the mortuary.

In an update on Thursday, Mercy announced that the police had arrested the suspect, who reportedly confessed to the crime but stabbed himself while writing his statement.

“Today, the police apprehended the suspect who, according to them, admitted to the crime. In a rather surprising twist, the suspect was uncuffed to write his statement.

“He used a sharp object, according to the police, and stabbed himself in the stomach. The police then rushed him to the hospital,” she wrote.

She expressed concern about the handling of the case, asking Nigerians to help ask the police what’s going on.

According to Mercy, the suspect had repeatedly entered the deceased’s apartment uninvited at night and Anosike had earlier complained about the harassment to a fellow tenant identified as Chioma, the landlord’s daughter.

“Apparently, this particular guy has been harassing her in the compound. He has entered her house uninvited twice at night. Ugochi, why were you so scared to seek help? You thought he would hurt and harm you; now he has killed you,” she wrote.

In a later update, Mercy alleged that Chioma participated in the crime, claiming she held the victim’s legs. At the same time, the suspect committed the act before suggesting that they return to kill her because she had seen their faces.

She called on the police to ensure a transparent investigation and bring everyone involved to justice.

Following the outcry, the National Youth Fellowship of the Methodist Church in Nigeria issued a statement on Thursday, condemning the murder and called for urgent action.

The statement signed by the Fellowship’s National President, Amb. Micheal Ezeh, and National Secretary, Amb. Emmanuel Anyalewechi, described the killing as a wound that pierces the heart of the fellowship and the nation.

“On Monday night, in the sanctity of her own room, Sister Success was viciously taken from us. This is not just a loss; it is a wound that pierces the heart of our fellowship and our nation.

“We unequivocally condemn this heinous act of violence, and in our grief, we unite our voices in a resolute cry for justice,” the statement read in part.

It urged the Nigeria Police Force, the Rivers State Government, and other relevant authorities to conduct a transparent and speedy investigation to ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.

The statement also disclosed that the Fellowship had set up a Justice Committee to monitor the case and liaise with law enforcement agencies until justice was achieved.

The church reaffirmed its opposition to all forms of gender-based violence and called for stronger measures to protect women and girls across communities.

It also extended condolences to Anosike’s family and friends, assuring them of its prayers and support, and encouraged members of the public with useful information to come forward and assist the investigation.

As of press time, the Rivers State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the progress of the investigation.