The bustling city of Sapele in Delta State was thrown into shock at the weekend following the macabre murder of the wife of one Mrs. Faith Umukoro, purportedly by her 25-year-old son.
The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Umukoro, a deranged young man with a history of regular and excessive drug abuse, attacked and killed his mother before setting her corpse on fire around Ugbeyiyi enclave of the town on Friday night.
Until the gruesome event, Mrs Umukoro had four children, including the suspect and lived a modest life in the city where the family is well known and respected.
A reliable source in the city said the distraught husband of the deceased and father of the suspect, Rev Umukoro is the resident pastor of Victory Family Assembly International (VIFA) and owner of His Majesty Group of Schools in Sapele.
Various sources said the suspect’s mental condition was a guided secret but a source of concern for the family, as the reverend father and his wife were said to be uncomfortable the state of the young man, who had also attacked other members of the family in the past.
“On one occasion he attacked his mother with a machete, but she was lucky on that occasion because her husband was within earshot when she cried out. He rescued her but was injured during the fight to free the woman.
“It is quite unfortunate that on this occasion the man was away, leaving his wife and the mentally unstable child at home,” a source said in a telephone chat with NDN.
A blogger based in the city said, “On Friday the 5th day of September 2024, Rev Prince Umukoro left for a burial ceremony in Imo State, leaving his wife and son at home. Unknown to them, Emmanuel had sinister plans.
“He had already bought and kept a battle axe. He waited for the opportune moment to strike. When his mother returned home that faithful day, he went for the battle axe and brutally attacked her. After the attack, he virtually set her body ablaze.”
It was gathered that Emmanuel later fled the Urhobo town, and drove his late mother’s Toyota Sienna van to Warri, ostensibly to dispose of the car and blow the money of hard drugs.
But he did not make it to the deal, as he was arrested at the Effurun flyover in nearby Uvwie LGA.
He caved in during interrogation and revealed that he had made previous effort to take the life of the woman who gave him life.
The remains of the unfortunate mother has been deposited at the Sapele Central Hospital morgue after it was positively identified by her husband who was summoned back from his trip to Imo State.
