The notorious serial killer, Gracious David West, who has been terrorizing Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has confessed that he was acting under a spell cast on him by his village people.

He made this confession yesterday, September 19, 2019, after he was arrested by the Nigeria Police in Rivers State.

According to the Police, the 26-year old self-confessed serial killer, who hails from Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, was arrested along East-West Road en route to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, from Port Harcourt.

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Already, the State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura had told a coalition of women groups protesting the serial killings of several women in Port Harcourt within a three week period that three other suspects have already been arrested in different parts of the State. David West makes the fourth suspect to be arrested.

The young man, who the Police say is a member of the Degbam cult group, has since his arrest being making useful statements to the Police.

But, in a dramatic twist, the suspected serial killer blamed his village people for the crimes he perpetrated.

He told the police that “I was manipulated by my village people to kill the girls I killed. I did not kill them with my clear eyes”.

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Gracious David West confessed to have personally killed five girls in Port Harcourt and seven in Owerri. His serial killer syndicate has, so far, killed over 13 young women in Port Harcourt, alone.

He told the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura that it was the charm his village people used on him that made him kill the young ladies who fell victim to killing spree.

The Police statement further revealed that “investigation was on with a view to ascertaining his motives and possible accomplices”.

It also disclosed that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura will be briefing the Media on this significant Police breakthrough tomorrow, September 20, 2019.

Gracious David West was said to be an ex-militant and a renowned armed robber that was rehabilitated by the Omega Power Ministries (OPM).

The church claimed it helped him to secure a job at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, but curiously, he continued in perpetrating crime and was subsequently declared wanted by the Imo State Police Command in June 2018.

Nobody could locate him until few days ago when a close circuit television camera footage of a hotel showed him going into a hotel and leaving the next morning and lady found dead in the rom he occupied. The video went viral on several social networks.

This effectively exposed him as being part of the serial killer syndicate responsible for the deaths of over 13 young women in Port Harcourt.

Checks by Kristina Reports on his Facebook profile shows he is a member of Port Harcourt based popular gospel minister, Pastor David Ibiyeomie’s church, Salvation Ministries.

Responding to questions by the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura, Gracious David West confessed to killing the young lady found in a hotel in Rumuokoro few days ago.

“We discussed how much I will pay her. After that we went to the hotel at SARS Road at Rumuokoro. I paid for the room, they took her up. I told her let me prepare food that we will eat. After that they prepared food for us and we ate.”

“After we slept until when the day broke around that 5.30am, between 4.30 and 5.30, I brought out a knife. She didn’t actually know there was a knife there. I told her not to shout that if she shout I will use the knife on her. So, with that fear she didn’t shout. The television was loud. After that I used the wrapper to tie her hand at the back and her legs”.