Father of woman murdered by her boyfriend insists he must marry her corpse in line with tradition

WILFRED Nwovueze the father of the young woman recently murdered by her fiancé is Rivers State has insisted that her boyfriend must marry her corpse in line with the local cultural tradition.

Earlier this week, Prince Owabie, also known as J-Boy, was arrested on suspicion of murdering his pregnant girlfriend Betty Nwovueze. Police found where he buried her body and exhumed it in Rumuepirikom, in Obio-Akpor Local Government area of Rivers State before taking it to the hospital morgue.

Mr Nwovueze said that a marriage is now compulsory in line with the traditional rites of the Ndele people in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State where the deceased hailed from. He also pleaded with security agencies to ensure that justice is done in the killing of his daughter.

“I don’t want any problem but that girl is my daughter and what I want the police to do is to allow this J-Boy of a man or his family members to marry my daughter before they bury her. All the rites that are due any girl of marriageable age in my community will be done so that there will be no calamity."

Men of the Rivers State Police Command were led by Mr Owabie to his bedroom where he buried his girlfriend in a shallow grave. A police spokesman said the body of the girl will be deposited in the morgue after which an autopsy will be conducted.