The Imo State Police command has arrested Francis Marvellous, a 300 level student of the Imo State University for allegedly stabbing a final year student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Chinagorom Kingsley to death.
The Command also described as false, a rumour that the act was committed by Fulani herdsmen, saying that such was the handiwork of “mischief makers who want to provoke unnecessary intertribal conflict between the good people of Imo State and the Northerners residing in the State”.
Police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye in a statement stated that it wad Francis who hails from Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state that stabbed Kingsley and not Fulani herdsmen as circulated on the social media.
Okoye also noted that the slain Kingsley was a member of FUTO’s Man O’ War unit.
He added that the suspect confessed to engage the deceased in heated argument during which he brought out a concealed knife and stabbed the FUTO’s student to death.
Okoye said FUTO’s Chief Security Officer, retired DSP Patrick Egwu sent a distress call to the police which was immediately responded to by a patrol team.
The statement read: “Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested an alleged 300-level student of Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri named Francis Marvellous ‘m’, 21yrs, who hails from Ehime Mbano LGA of Imo State for allegedly stabbing to death Chinagorom Marvellous Kingsley ‘m’, 22yrs, who is a final year student of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and a member the University’s Man O’ War Unit.
“The arrest was a sequel to a swift response to a distress call received from the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of FUTO, retired DSP Patrick Egwu, by police operatives on convoy patrol who promptly arrested the suspect who was almost lynched at the scene by an angry mob. The body of the victim was recovered and rushed to Federal Medical Center, Owerri where he was confirmed dead and deposited at the mortuary.
“On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime, admitting that he had a heated argument with personnel of the university’s Man O’ War unit on 29/03/2024 at about 2200hrs during which he brought out a knife he neatly concealed in his trousers and stabbed the victim to death,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Okoye said the police is on a manhunt for one Marvellous, his brother Promise, Prince, and one Soji to ascertain their involvements in the case.
Okoye appealed to the people, particularly the staff and students of the institution to go about their lawful business.
He assured that adequate security measures have been implemented to forestall any future occurrences while warning students of the institution to refrain from taking laws into their hands.
He noted that investigation is in progress to bring the culprits to book.
Imo State Police Commissioner, Aboki Danjuma has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to take charge of the case to ensure that the suspects and purveyors of fake news were arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
