The Imo State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man, Ifeanyi Chukwu Joseph, over the suspected throwing of his girlfriend’s 17-year-old niece from a two-storey building in Owerri, Imo State. The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday, November 1, at Mbonu Ejike, while the suspect was allegedly alone in the apartment with the teenager after his girlfriend travelled to Lagos State.
The police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the arrest to The ICIR. He said officers rescued the suspect from an angry mob that had attempted to lynch him. Okoye also confirmed that the teenager was rescued and taken to a hospital, where she was receiving treatment. According to him, her injuries affected her brain, and she would require the attention of a neurosurgeon. He described her condition as critical.
The police spokesperson said the suspect told investigators that he had accused the teenager of frequently bringing men into the apartment he rented for his girlfriend. He reportedly claimed that an argument broke out between them, during which he flogged her. According to Okoye, neighbours heard the disturbance and knocked on the apartment door. After entering, they reportedly could not find the teenager inside but later discovered her lying on the ground outside after looking through a window. He explained that the suspect’s girlfriend had brought the teenager from the village to live with them in the apartment. He added that the suspect and his girlfriend were not married but had been living together with the teenager.
However, the police said they were not treating the suspect’s account as conclusive, describing his explanation as questionable. Okoye said investigators were working to obtain eyewitness accounts and establish what actually led to the incident. He assured that the investigation would be thorough and that the suspect would face appropriate criminal charges if evidence established his responsibility for the attack.
