The Chief Priest of the Igbudu community in Warri South council area of Delta, Victor Alawuru, has been stabbed to death for allegedly impregnating a Muslim lady.
The Nation learned the incident, which happened along Degbori Street in the Hausa Quarters axis of the community, left people running helter-skelter in the neighbourhood on Friday evening.
It was gathered youths of the Igbudu market sought to launch a retaliatory attack on the hoodlums believed to be some ‘Hausa boys’.
The victim, 23, was said to be a grandson of Alawuru, a popular family name in Warri and Udu areas, and only took up his priestly duties about two years ago.
According to residents, the victim impregnated a ‘Hausa lady’, which did not go well with her Muslim parents, who are against the relationship based on religious differences.
Some others claimed that he (the victim) was killed because he rejected the pregnancy.
It was gathered the deceased had gone for a festival on the street when he was attacked and stabbed by hoodlums reportedly from the Hausa enclave.
“The deceased was killed because a Hausa lady got pregnant for him. He allegedly rejected the pregnancy. The incident has brought serious tension,” a source claimed.
Another source said: “The hoodlums who are believed to be from the Hausa community attacked and stabbed him to death on Thursday.
“The Igbudu community youths are angry over the death of the deceased. Thus, fighting, robbery, and a riot broke out between the Urhobo and Hausa groups.
“The ever-busy Igbudu market was forcefully closed on Friday evening as traders ran away for the safety of their lives. And there are fears that the youths may avenge the death of the chief priest.
“The incident is a bad one because cult groups have taken over the fight. The last person that was killed by the same group during the lockdown was the younger brother of Mr. Victor. The people of the priest are angry”.
A senior police source at the Warri Area Command revealed that the parents wanted the girl to terminate the pregnancy but she refused.
“They said a Hausa girl was pregnant for him and the parents wanted her to terminate the pregnancy but she ran to the police station.
“So the girl said Christian girls do get pregnant for Muslims so why can’t she? And she decided to keep the pregnancy.
“They were having a festival in that area and the said chief priest was passing. They said some Hausa boys now pointed that ‘look at the man that brought disgrace (impregnating the Hausa girl) to us’ and one of them stabbed him to death,” the police source disclosed.
Asked if the chief priest had rejected the pregnancy, the Police said “he didn’t. They said their daughter shouldn’t have been pregnant for a non-Muslim”.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the killing of the chief priest by suspected ‘Hausa boys’.
“Yes, the chief priest was killed but not because he was a chief priest. The area is calm now,” the PPRO said.