A jealous lover at the weekend was reported to have strangled his girlfriend before setting himself ablaze while trying to conceal his act.
The incident happened in Kom Kom area of Oyigbo in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The man who was simply identified as Baby Face, reportedly invited his lover over to his house in Kom Kom, a densely populated area in Oyigbo, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt and was said to have had a heated argument which resulted in physical attack.
A source who was privy to the story said the man had interrogated his girlfriend and demanded an explanation over an alleged affair she was having with another man.
Not satisfied by the explanation of his lover, Baby Face descended on her, battered the girl and reportedly strangled her in the process.
According to the eyewitness, “ A young boy who bears the name Babe Face had an altercation with her girlfriend over issues that had to do with another man.
“In the process, they had an argument. The boy pounced on this girl and beat her severely and strangled her in the process.
“After killing the girl, he set his apartment ablaze as a move to cover his tracks but was caught up in the inferno. He was burnt to death with the girl’s corpse inside the house.”
He said the incident caused panic in the neighbourhood, as residents deserted the area for fear of being arrested by the police.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said it was a fire incident, which claimed the girl’s life.
“From what I have, it was a fire incident. The girl died and the man was taken to the hospital where he was receiving treatment, but he later died.
“We have launched an investigation into the incident to find out what really happened. We will make our findings public,” she stated.
