Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested a 40-year-old man, Samson Ekata, for the gruesome murder and mutilation of his pregnant 18-year-old girlfriend in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area.

The state Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daaor, paraded the suspect alongside other criminal elements on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. He disclosed that the victim had been cohabiting with Ekata for about a year before her untimely death.

According to the police boss, the suspect not only took the life of the young woman but went ahead to mutilate her body, severing her breast and attempting to forcefully extract her unborn child. He subsequently transported the remains in a Toyota Corolla and dumped them by the roadside.

Speaking with journalists, Ekata confessed to the horrific crime but claimed he was acting under spiritual manipulation.

“I began hearing voices instructing me to kill her, but I initially resisted because she was pregnant," the suspect stated. "The same instruction came to me in a dream about two weeks later, prompting me to commit the crime. After killing her, I severed her breast as the spirit instructed me to do so.”

Ekata, however, maintained that this was his first time killing anyone, denying involvement in any previous ritual or homicidal activities.

Reacting to the incident, Commissioner Daaor condemned the act as a horrific and deeply saddening crime. He commended the local community, noting that their swift cooperation and intelligence-sharing were instrumental in tracking down and apprehending the suspect.

Reassuring the public that Ekata would face the full wrath of the law, Daaor issued a stern warning to parents and young women alike. He urged parents to monitor their children closely to protect them from predators, while advising young women to exercise extreme caution and avoid placing blind trust in relationships at the expense of their personal safety.