A pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Thompson Onyekwuru has been stabbed to death while separating a fight.
It was gathered that Onyekwuru is a pastor in one of the RCCG churches located in Owerri, Imo State.
Also, the Imo State Police Command has confirmed the incident.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Imo State command, SP Mike Abattam, the pastor was murdered while separating a fight between a couple in the state.
The statement said the pastor was trying to stop one Mr Obumneke Onyemechileuzo, who was armed with a Knife, from beating his wife, Mrs Ogechi Onyemechileuzo when the incident happened.
However, the pastor was stabbed in the neck as he was trying to intervene in the fight. He was said to have fell down immediately and lost consciousness.
Abattam further disclosed that a police team that responded to the situation saw the husband beating his wife and hurrily move to disarm the husband. However, on sighting the police, Obumneke attempted to stab one of the police operatives. The policeman, in self-defence shot the suspect on the leg.
The police team rushed the pastor and the suspect to Rosana hospital, located in Owerri where both of them were confirmed dead, and their remains deposited in Agbala Mortuary. However, Mrs Ogechi is currently receiving medical attention at the said hospital.
The statement reads, “Following a distress call on 19/7/2021 at about 1400 hours, at the Divisional Police Headquarters Nekede, Owerri, that one Obumneke Onyemechileuzo armed with a kitchen knife was beating his wife, Ogechi Favour Onyemechileuzo.
“When a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church Owerri, Pastor Thompson Onyekwuru, intervened by stopping him from stabbing his wife, the suspect rushed at him, stabbed him on his back and he fell down unconscious.
“On arrival at the scene, the police team saw the suspect seriously beating his wife, threatening to stab her and ran to prevent him from stabbing his wife.
“On sighting the police, he attempted stabbing one of the officers on the neck and he was shot on the leg in self-defence.
“He fell down and was immediately disarmed.
“But the victims and the suspect were rushed to Rosana hospital where the doctor on call referred the victims to Human Race Hospital, where the pastor and the suspect were confirmed dead.
“The woman was admitted in the intensive care unit of the hospital and she is responding to treatment, while the corpses were later deposited at Agbala Mortuary, Agbala.”