Pastor kills girlfriend, buries her in his room

Etinum Ogunde, Yenagoa

A 27-year-old man, Joseph Fekala, has allegedly gruesomely murdered his girlfriend, one Kate Ogwoh, aged 26, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Fekala, said to be a youth pastor in a Pentecostal church in Yenagoa, strangled Ogwoh to death and buried her remains in a shallow grave in his bedroom.

The incident happened at the Okaka suburb of Yenagoa metropolis on Friday.

It was gathered that the suspect, who has been arrested by the police, allegedly killed his girlfriend over a N50,000 debt he was owing the deceased for clothes he bought from her.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the deceased dealt in clothes.

The source said: “She was selling clothes before she was killed. The suspect was owing her N50,000 and she went to get the money from him yesterday (Thursday).

“No one heard from her until this Friday morning when her mother went looking for her at the man’s house and saw the shallow grave, that’s when she raised the alarm.

“Until her death, she was a member of Christ Embassy Church in Yenagoa while Joseph was a youth pastor in a Pentecostal church. He isn’t a ‘Yahoo boy’ as being speculated in some quarters.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the murder.

Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, said: “Joseph Fekala, 27 years, of Ikebiri community, but residing at Okaka, strangled one Kate Ogwoh, female, 26 years to death on July 28, 2022.

“He buried the deceased in a shallow grave in his bedroom.

“The suspect was arrested following a tip off by neighbours on July 29, 2022, at about 0800 hours. He is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Investigation is ongoing.”