*Wife of deceased stranded with newborn baby, appeals for help

*Youth leader appeals for calm, urges restraint

*Security operatives flood forest in search of suspect

The Nigeria Police Force, Bonny Division has suspended the burial of late Mieadonye Allaputa, the young man who was killed by his younger brother in Akiama Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State pending the arrest of his suspected assailant and younger brother, Ibinabo Allaputa.

Ibinabo, who was still at large at the time of this report, was said to be hiding in the forest around Oguede Community, close to Akiama, where he allegedly used a machete to cut his brother’s neck leading to the latter’s death.   

Youth Leader of Akiama Community, Ibifubara Allaputa disclosed this to Kristina Reports that the decision was taken at a meeting between the youth leaders of the community and the Divisional Police Officer, Bonny Division of the Nigeria Police, Shuaib Achigili, who he said insisted on the completion of investigations before the burial can take place.

Earlier, Achigili had told Kristina Reports that his men were on the trail of the suspect and was optimistic he would soon be apprehended, asserting that no stone would be left unturned to keep Bonny LGA safe, especially, during this festive season.

The Akiama Youth Leader also warned youths of the community to desist from taking laws into their hands, urging them to allow the Police and other relevant security agencies working on the case to handle the matter and bring it to a satisfactory closure.

“The way my youths are angry over what has happened, if they catch him (suspect) they might even kill him but I have warned everyone of them to stay action and allow the security people to handle the matter. I am sure they will soon arrest him”.

Kristina Reports checks reveal that the wife of the suspect had fled the community with her children after the incident for fear of reprisal attacks with no one able to know her current location.

Sources close to the family disclosed to Kristina Reports that the bone of contention remained hazy and indefinite as some said it was a one room apartment in their family house which both men were dragging who was to occupy it, while others said it was a parcel of land belonging to their late father.

Kristina Reports also learnt that mental condition of suspect was another issue, as many who know him pointed out that he (Ibinabo) was unstable and deranged due to abuse of hard drugs.

More curious is the fact that both the deceased and the suspect were siblings from same paternal and maternal parentage.  

Incidentally, Kristina Reports was unable to find any form of intervention by members of the family to resolve the feud between the two brothers, which culminated in the killing of the elder Mieadonye on Wednesday, December 11. 2019.  

A close source within the family, who preferred anonymity, said the misunderstanding between Mieadonye and Ibinabo took a violent dimension about a month ago and led to a physical fight between the duo on Sunday, December 8, 2019.

The source further revealed that the suspect had a criminal history of chopping off the hands of anyone who had an argument with him, stating that, so far, he had cut the hands of four persons with his machete, with which he goes for fetching firewood in the Oguede forest are

“We are even doubting that aspect of his head not being correct because he has been going about cutting people with machete. At the last count, he has cut the arms of four persons with machete and curiously, it is always their right arm. So, some of us think he actually knows what he is doing,” the source said.

“Okay, look at where he cut his brother, at the back of the neck, a very fragile and delicate part of the body. He literally bled out before they could get him to General Hospital, after St. Charles said they can’t handle his matter.”  

Another source, who resides in the community but does not want to be named, revealed that “the young man lives in that Oguede forest and he could stay there for months eating grass to survive. What kind of human being is that?”

“We have shown the police where they can find him, it is up to them to go look for him there. He lives there and cuts wood from the forest to sell as firewood and knows the terrain of that forest very well. So, the police people should also be very careful because he is extremely dangerous”.

On her part, the wife of the deceased has been very apprehensive since the gruesome murder of her late husband, eating very little and barely surviving with no money on her.

So far, only a few family members have tried to provide any form of support for her and her less than a month old newborn baby, a close acquaintance, who preferred anonymity, pleaded with well-meaning individuals to come to her aid by providing some basic necessities like baby food, diapers, food items and other necessities.   

Concerned individuals have also appealed to residents of the various communities around Akiama community such as Oguede, Abalamabie, Longjohn, Bagg-Jumbo (Waterwell area), Orupiri, Oloma, Epelema, Iloma, Ayaminima, Burukiri, and Georgekiri to help the security agencies to look out for the suspect who may likely want to escape to any of those communities to evade justice.