Re-arrested suspected ritualist, Ifeanyi Dike, says-Power outage helped me escape from police custody

The Rivers state police command yesterday paraded, Ifeanyi Dike, the UNIPORT undergraduate who raped, murdered and removed vital parts of his eight-year-old niece, Chikasom, in Port Harcourt, Rivers state last month. Dike was arrested on August 19th while trying to dispose of her body after removing some of her vital organs. He was taken into police custody at the Okporo police station but however escaped on Sunday, August 20th and had been on the run.

He was rearrested in Jos, Plateau state last week. While been paraded before newsmen in the state command’s office, Dike said power outage helped him escape from police custody.

“At the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, after I entered my statement late in the evening of the day of my first parade, my IPO asked me to go inside the cell. That was when I had the opportunity to run away. My IPO did not help me escape. I know what I did was wrong, please forgive me and have mercy.” he said

The suspect said he was re-arrested after he attempted to steal food in Plateau state where he had escaped to.

“I escaped to Jos. Having stayed for several days without food and due to the injuries I sustained, I was unable to get food to eat. So due to the hunger, I decided to source for food and that was where I was caught and handed over to the Police. When I got to the Police station, at first I was hiding my identity, but on interrogation, I got fed up and gave them (Police) my aunty’s phone number. As soon as the Police called my aunt, she told them that I was declared wanted by the Rivers State Police Command. She also handed my IPO’s phone number to the Police officers and they later confirmed that I am on the wanted list. After I was confirmed, I was detained and returned back to Rivers State on Sunday.” he said

The suspect said the dismissed police officer, Johnbosco Okoroeze, was innocent and that the officer did not help him escape from police custody.