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“She Knelt to Pray for Our Marriage – Then I Shot Her”: How a Bridegroom Killed His NSCDC Fiancée 11 Days to Wedding.

The tragic story of an Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officer who was allegedly killed by her fiancé in 2019 has continued to stir emotions among Nigerians.

The dusty roads of Otukpo in Benue State have witnessed countless wedding celebrations over the years. December is often regarded as a season of joy, where families gather under the harmattan weather to celebrate love and union.

However, in December 2019, an incident occurred that residents of Otukpo still speak about in hushed tones.

A young woman identified as Josephine Cynthia Inalegwu Onche was preparing for what should have been one of the happiest moments of her life.

Josephine, an officer of the NSCDC and daughter of a former Mayor of Otukpo, had already concluded preparations for her wedding scheduled for December 28 and 29, 2019. Invitations had been distributed, fabrics purchased, and transportation arrangements reportedly completed for guests expected at the ceremony.

Just eleven days before the church wedding, her fiancé, identified as Christopher Akpan, allegedly contacted her and requested that she travel to Akwa Ibom State for what he described as a final family discussion.

Josephine reportedly packed her belongings and left, but she never returned.

For several days, her whereabouts remained unknown as her phone lines became unreachable. Wedding preparations abruptly stopped while her family searched desperately for answers.

After five days, her brother reportedly contacted Akpan, who allegedly denied having any knowledge of Josephine’s disappearance and acted like a concerned fiancé even as the wedding date passed without the bride.

Investigators later alleged that behind the calm appearance was a man who had already concluded plans to kill her.

The case reportedly took the Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, about eighteen months to unravel.

A major breakthrough reportedly came after the arrest of a 67-year-old herbalist identified as Rafiu Afolabi in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he had allegedly gone into hiding.

Under interrogation, Afolabi reportedly narrated details of the incident to detectives.

According to his confession, Akpan allegedly approached him seeking assistance for a money ritual intended to make him wealthy.

The herbalist reportedly claimed that Akpan had previously attempted something similar involving his late first wife, which allegedly enabled him to build a house, but that he now desired greater wealth and had chosen Josephine as the sacrifice.

Afolabi further alleged that Akpan promised to pay him ₦5 million from Josephine’s savings.

Investigators alleged that Josephine had handed over about ₦14 million to Akpan during the course of their relationship, trusting him completely.

On the evening of December 19, 2019, Akpan reportedly drove Josephine into a forest in Obi Local Government Area of Benue State carrying a calabash, a python, a pigeon and native soap.

He allegedly convinced her that they needed to perform a special prayer for the protection of their marriage and to avoid the tragedy that befell his first wife.

Believing the explanation, Josephine reportedly agreed.

“She thought it was a sacrifice to protect her upcoming marriage,” the herbalist later told reporters while pointing at Akpan. “So she knelt down willingly in the forest. But her fiancé brought out a gun and shot her in the back.”

Investigators alleged that after she fell, Akpan collected her blood in a calabash before taking ₦700,000 in cash, her ATM cards and work identification card from her handbag.

Police further alleged that he dug a shallow grave in the forest, buried her body and fled the area.

The herbalist reportedly claimed that Akpan later paid him only ₦50,000 instead of the promised ₦5 million before disappearing.

For eighteen months, the case reportedly remained unresolved.

The investigation reportedly took a fresh turn after a local motorcycle rider who allegedly noticed suspicious movements around the forest on the night of December 19 decided to provide information to Josephine’s family.

On May 27, 2021, police officers reportedly returned to the forest alongside the arrested herbalist, who pointed investigators to the exact burial location.

After excavation, authorities reportedly recovered the remains of Josephine Cynthia Inalegwu Onche, who had remained buried there for nearly two years.

On June 16, 2021, Christopher Akpan was paraded at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Despite the confessions, recovered remains and alleged financial evidence, Akpan reportedly maintained that he loved Josephine and had no reason to kill her.

Josephine’s family eventually laid her to rest on June 1, 2021.

The case has continued to resonate with many Nigerians because of the circumstances surrounding it.

A woman reportedly invested seven years of her life, her savings and her trust in a relationship, only to allegedly lose her life days before her wedding ceremony.

Many Nigerians who followed the case still ask the same troubling question: if a person cannot trust the partner who promised marriage, who then can truly be trusted?

For Josephine’s family, that answer reportedly came too late, while for many others, her story remains a painful reflection on love, trust, greed and hidden intentions behind smiling faces.

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