Father strangles 4 children, commits suicide in Rivers

A 35-year-old man, identified as Achibong Patrick, has strangled his four children and killed himself in Rivers State.

The incident occurred, on Tuesday, in Alesa community, in Eleme Local Government Area of the state around 1:00a.m.

According to information gathered, Patrick, who hailed from Ogoja in Cross River State,  after he had killed his four children, locked up their remains and set the house ablaze.

Further information gathered said that Patrick had earlier chased his wife away from house in the night, locked his door and strangled his children.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer,  DSP. Nnamdi Omoni, has confirmed  the development to journalists, saying that corpses of the four children and their father  had been taken for autopsy.

Omoni said the landlord of the house, whom he simply identified as Gomba, had reported the incident to a police station in the area.

He noted that the children, who were  eight, five, three and a year old, were killed and locked up in the room before  the house was  set ablaze.

Omoni said, “On the early hours of today (yesterday) the landlord of Mr. Patrick, Mr. Gomba, reported the incident to the police.

“The corpses of the five people have been sent to the mortuary for autopsy. The reason for the action has not been ascertained,” the PPRO stated.