Featured
PH Serial Killer Suspect, David West Pleads Guilty Of Murder …Says He Was Possessed By Evil …Spirits, As RSG Takes Over Case
The alleged serial killer arrested by operatives of Rivers State Police Command in the state, Gracious David West, has pleaded for forgiveness from the state High Court handling his matter.
This is just as the Rivers State Government, yesterday, took over the prosecution of the suspected serial killer.
The Rivers State Police command in suit PHC/3426/CR/2019, a case between the accused person and the Inspector General of Police, had levelled 10-count charges boarding on conspiracy and murder on West.
According to the charges read, West is alleged to have unlawfully killed several women in different hotels and guest houses in parts of Rivers State which is a punishable offence under Section 319 sub 1, Cap 37 Volume 2 Laws of Rivers State 1999.
West, however, pleaded for forgiveness after pleading guilty to nine counts out of 10 charges preferred against him by the Rivers State Police Command.
The accused, who appeared before the trial judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, however, pleaded not guilty for attempting to also kill his 10th victim, identified as Benita Etim on September 18, 2019, in a hotel around Bende Street in Port Harcourt, informing the court that he never intended to kill her other than tying her hands and legs to a chair and leaving her at the hotel room.
The suspect, West, had during proceedings told the court that he preferred to tell the truth so he could be pardoned, noting that he committed the crimes unconsciously.
West stated that the police have his N60,000, necklace and wristwatch, urging the court to compel the police to release the said items to him.
The suspected serial killer said: “My Lord, I have something to say, I killed all other girls in the hotels but that one in Bende Street which is on the tenth charge, I did not have in mind to kill her, I only tied her on the chair.
“My Lord, all these things I did I did it because I was possessed by evil spirits, I want the court to forgive me that is why I said the truth.
“My Lord, I have a complaint to make, all my properties I left in the SARS station, they have refused to give me, my money, 60,000, my wristwatch and other things, my Lord tell them.”
Having taken his plea, the Rivers State Government through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Zaccheus Adango, applied to take over the prosecution of the matter, which was not opposed by the parties.
The trial Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, after listening to the arguments, first entered non-guilty plea to the suspect, making references to different sections of the Criminal Code of the Law of Federal Government and state, respectively.
Enebeli granted the application of Rivers State Government to take over the matter, expressing readiness to give speedy hearing of the case.
He adjourned till 18th, 21st, 27th and 29th of November and 4th of December for hearing and remanded the suspect in prison.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the court session, yesterday, the police prosecuting counsel, Gladys Imegwu, said the Rivers State Ministry of Justice taking over the prosecution of the matter was in the best interest of the state.
“The court actually directed upon the application of the lawyer from the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who made an application to take over which is their constitutional right and the court granted the application, and we are not opposed to it.
“It is for the betterment of the state and we are working together, at the same time, we made it clear that we have prosecutorial power, even the Criminal Justice Law gives us that power.”
Also speaking, Principal State Counsel from the Rivers state Ministry of Justice, Director of Public Prosecutions Office, Chidi Ekeh, said the move to take over the prosecution was to ensure justice prevails.
“We considered this case a very sensitive one, considering the fact that all the nine victims were killed in Rivers state, so we want to send a message to Rivers residents that lives are valued and such an offence cannot be toyed with.
“We will prosecute this matter to its logical conclusion and ensure that justice prevails at the end of the day.”
Counsel for the defendant, Vincent Chukwu, said his client pleading guilty before the court was not enough to convict him of the crime.
“The offence in question here is a capital offence, whether my client did it or not, the presumption is that the prosecution must still prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, so it is not for the defendant to just say i am guilty and liable and it ends there.
“Because the punishment is death, so the burden is now on the prosecution to go ahead and prove their case and we are waiting for them. My client has a very plausible defence which we shall open up at the appropriate time, we have had fruitful deliberations with him yesterday and we hope for the best in the matter.”
Justice Enebeli ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter till November 18, 2019 for hearing.
Earlier, the absence of a lawyer to represent the suspected serial killer, Gracious David West, had stalled his arraignment at the Rivers State High Court, last Monday.
West was arrested by security personnel while he was on his way to Akwa Ibom State from Port Harcourt after he allegedly killed two women in Lagos, Owerri and nine others in Port Harcourt.
The suspect, before his arrest on September 19, 2019, specialised in luring unsuspecting young women to hotels, killing them and escaping from the hotel.
West, who was brought to court by heavily armed personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), at about 10.28am, was not represented by any counsel.
This development made it impossible for the charges to be read to him.
The trial judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, who observed that the suspect was in court without a lawyer, held that he (West) was entitled to a counsel before he could be properly arraigned.
Justice Enebeli had asked West if he had any lawyer representing him (suspect) in court, and he said no.
The suspect told the court that a lawyer, whose name he could not recall, promised to be in court to represent him.
But West added that he did not know why the lawyer was not in court.
Justice Enebeli, however, adjourned the case till yesterday, adding that the matter deserved timely and expeditious hearing.
Speaking with newsmen after the court session, the Officer-in-Charge of Legal Matters and Prosecutions, Gladys Imegwu, said the suspect was aware that he would be in court.
She said, “The matter for today (Monday) is the case of Gracious West, the suspected serial killer. He was to be arraigned in court today on 10 counts; nine counts bordering on murder and one count bordering on attempted murder. He (West) was duly served and he was aware that the matter would come up in court today.
“He told the court that his lawyer permitted him to be in court today, but the lawyer was nowhere to be found.”
But if the court can, in its wisdom, appoint a lawyer for him because of the severity of the offence, that will be okay. That is even the constitutional provision.
“The court has the right to appoint a lawyer for him either from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria or the bar. The court in its wisdom adjourned the matter till Tuesday on the grounds that he should get a lawyer of his choice. But if he is not able to do that, the court will decide whether to appoint one for him from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria or the bar.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) to carry out their duties with discipline, loyalty and a firm commitment to the success of the administration and the wellbeing of the people of Rivers State.
The governor warned that any involvement in unauthorised nocturnal meetings or any conduct capable of embarrassing the government will attract immediate dismissal.
Fubara gave the warning yesterday shortly after the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma and the new Chief of Staff (CoS), Barrister Sunny Ewule, were sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.
As part of the ceremony, the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the duo before the governor gave his charge.
Addressing the appointees, Fubara reminded them that their elevation to the new positions was a call to service and not a platform for political grandstanding or the pursuit of personal ambition.
He stressed that their foremost responsibility should be to themselves and to the people of Rivers State, stressing that their conduct must always reflect integrity, restraint and dedication to public good.
Speaking directly to Dr. Wokoma, whom he described as an accomplished academic and mathematician, the governor expressed confidence in his intellectual depth and capacity to deliver on the new assignment.
The office of the Secretary to the State Government, Fubara stressed, demands thoroughness, discipline and a deep sense of responsibility. He charged the SSG to represent the State with honour at all times.
“Your duty includes representing the state government. You need to represent us in a way and manner that will bring honour to us.
“What is important to this administration is to see that the good works that we started and the ones that we met, are concluded in a way that will bring progress and development to our dear state,” he stated.
Turning to the new Chief of Staff, the governor explained that he is expected to ensure smooth administrative coordination, managing official engagements effectively and safeguarding the image of the Government House.
He underscored the sensitive and personal nature of the role and emphasised that the position operates strictly under the authority of the governor.
Fubara stressed that the role does not permit independent political engagements or private strategy meetings without his knowledge and consent.
“Let me sound it here very clearly. Your duty is to make sure that you handle the administrative duties and image making roles perfectly well, liaising with whoever is coming for any official assignment here.
“If you involve yourself in nocturnal meetings and all those things, I will sack you. I’m very serious. What is important to me today is peace, progress and prosperity of this state. I’m not going to compromise anything for it,” he said.
The governor cautioned that involvement of the new appointees in any action capable of bringing the government or his office to disrepute would attract appropriate sanctions.
While congratulating the new appointees, Fubara expressed optimism that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
He called on all public officials to work together in unity, observing that collective success is stronger and more enduring than individual achievement.
The governor who also addressed the Permanent Secretaries present at the ceremony, directed those of them who have reached retirement age to start preparing their handover notes without delay.
The notice, he said, was not intended to scare anybody but to prepare their minds towards the inevitability of exiting the service one day and to pave way for an orderly transition.
He warned against any attempt to engage in financial misconduct or last-minute irregularities, stressing that he was closely monitoring the system to ensure strict enforcement of accountability rules.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.