By Kelvin Obambon
A 30-year-old man in Cross River who matcheted his lover for failing to visit him on Valentine’s Day after he gave her money to make hair, has said that he carried out the dastardly act under the influence of “combine”, hence was not conscious of his action.
Amba Ubung, a farmer from Okuni community in Ikom local government area, stated this on Thursday when he was paraded by the police alongside other criminal suspects at the state command headquarters, Diamond Hill, Calabar.
Parading the suspect before journalists, the Commissioner of Police, Gyogon Grimah, said on the 17th of February at about 1000 hours, some community leaders from Okuni in Ikom local government area reported at Ikom Area Command that one Amba Ubung ‘m’ age 30yrs of the above Community gave his girlfriend, one Blessing Onawu ‘f’ age 25yrs the sum of seven thousand naira (N7,000) to plate her hair and thereafter visit him the next day being 14th February 2024 (Valentine’s Day).
According to the commissioner, “After waiting patiently, the said lady did not show up. The suspect Amba Ubung, armed himself with a machete, went to the dwelling house of Blessing Onawu, attacked and gave her several machete cuts all over her body with intent to kill her. In an attempt by the victim’s mother to rescue her, from the blood thirsty Amba, he in turn used the same machete to inflict various degree of machete cuts on her.
“In a swift response, a team of Policemen were mobilized to the scene, the suspect was arrested with the machete. The suspect was transferred to SCID for discreet investigation and diligent prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded. Meanwhile the victims are receiving treatment in different hospitals.”
However, when interviewed by journalists, the suspect said “I didn’t know myself that day because I had taken ‘combine’. When I went to her place I wasn’t happy because of what she had done. When I asked her why she refused to show up she started laughing. I felt so bad and used the cutlass I was holding to injure her. When the mother came and hold me and we started dragging the cutlass; I didn’t know if in that process the knife cut her. I didn’t know myself.”
