A woman was found dead inside a tricycle in Ogbogoro, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, while police have launched a manhunt for her partner, who is suspected of being responsible for her death.
The deceased, whose identity had not been made public as of press time, was reportedly the mother of two children fathered by the suspect, identified only as IK, a tricycle operator.
The incident came to light on Tuesday morning when residents discovered the woman's lifeless body alongside two young children inside a stationary tricycle parked along CPM Street in Ogbogoro.
A resident of the area, Mr. Senibo, said neighbours were shocked by the discovery.
"At about 7 a.m., residents noticed two little girls, both under six years old, sitting with the body of an adult woman inside a tricycle parked by the roadside," he said.
According to him, officers from the Ozuoba Police Division were immediately alerted and responded to the scene.
Senibo said the older child told police that her father had attacked her mother during the night while the family was staying at a guest house in the area.
"The child explained that her father used an object to beat her mother. When he realised she could no longer stand or speak, he took her away and later abandoned her body with the children before fleeing," he said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Blessing Agabe Kaborlo, said the police received information from a passerby who spotted the woman and the children inside a blue tricycle parked by the roadside.
"The Ozuoba Police Division patrol team swiftly moved to the scene, where officers found the lifeless body of a woman and two children aged about five years and six months respectively," Kaborlo said.
She added that preliminary findings were based largely on the account provided by the five-year-old child.
"The five-year-old child informed the police that her father used an object to beat her mother during the night, leaving her seriously injured. When the father noticed that the woman had become weak, they allegedly rushed her to an undisclosed hospital where she was pronounced dead," the police spokesperson stated.
Kaborlo disclosed that a sister of the deceased was later contacted and positively identified the body.
"The remains of the deceased have since been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and further investigation. The deceased's sister has taken custody of the two children, while efforts have been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspect," she added.
Police said investigations are ongoing and assured that efforts are being made to track down and arrest the suspect.
