Port Harcourt: Police Issues Strong Warning As Serial Killer Claims 10th Victim

Young women in Rivers State have been advised by the state police command to shun prostitution as a suspected serial killer has murdered the 10th victim.

According to Punch, there had been consistent killings of young women in the last one month in low-priced hotels in Port Harcourt.

A further report into the incident revealed that victims are usually found strangled and gagged with a white handkerchief.

The police have received five cases of murder, but social media report has suggested that about 10 young girls may have been killed.

The killings, could not be confirmed if it was carried out by one person or a syndicate or by random persons.

It was also reported that most of the victims are sex workers.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Chuks Enwonwu, while speaking with newsmen called on young women to shun prostitution and other vices.

He said, “In as much as societal values are disintegrating, we must go back to try to educate them (women) and discourage them from going into prostitution because that is how they fall victim to these crimes.”

The Executive Director, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, while speaking on the situation stated that it was wrong of the police to castigate the victims instead of focusing on the killers.

She stated that the killers should not be treated with soft hands even as she said those killed may be as high as 13.

She said, “It is a sad one for me. Assuming without conceding that they are prostitutes, does it mean their lives don’t matter. Yes, prostitution is wrong but if there are no buyers, there will not be sellers. Are the killings now justified? This doesn’t make sense.”

“We cannot say for sure that all those ladies are commercial sex workers. What we are playing with is serial killing and Nigerians are not used to this. The thing about serial killers is that if they are not caught on time they get bolder. The one that happened yesterday happened in the afternoon, not at night.”

“After prostitutes, he will move on to the next victim. It is now about 13 victims in the last three months.”

She charged the authorities to deal with any hotel found without CCTV, she added that the absence of CCTV in some hotels helps the killers to escape.