A man, Gracious David-West, 39, has confessed to killing seven young women in Lagos, Imo and Rivers in recent times.
The murder suspect squealed in police net after his arrest, following the strangling to death of his last victim in a hotel in Rukpokwu area of Port Harcourt last Wednesday.
West was arrested while fleeing Rivers to Akwa Ibom State. His arrest was aided by the CCTV footage of the last hotel where his last victim was murdered. He was seen in the video with lady, who was later found dead in the room in which they lodged.
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He claimed to be under spiritual manipulation, being from a polygamous home being the only male child with female siblings.
His confession:
“I am a native of Buguma in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, born in 1980. I don’t know what is causing me to kill women in hotels. When the spirit comes, it will be pushing me to go and kill, then after killing the person I will start regretting my actions.
“I even went to the Lord’s Chosen Church, a branch in Oyibo. I told the pastor that I kill girls in a hotel, that I don’t know what is happening to me and he should help me. So, the pastor told me that they had a programme that I should come back on Friday.
“He said that they didn’t allow people to sleep in the church. He told me to come back the next day so he could take me to their General Overseer (GO), who would be at the crusade. When I told him that it would be hard for me to see their GO, he said I should go, that there was no other way he could help me.
“After I left the church, I went to lodge in a hotel and slept alone that day. I am the one doing all the serial killings in Port Harcourt. I was with a girl two days ago but I didn’t harm her. But when it comes on me, I will kill the person.”
Modus of killing the girls:
“I always go to the hotel with a kitchen knife. When we go inside the hotel room after eating. After making love we will sleep for a while. When the girl is sleeping I will hold her on the neck with the knife and wake her up. I will tell her not to shout, that if she shouts, I will slice her throat with the knife.
“With that threat the girl will not shout, so she will relax, believing that I will not kill her. I will promise her that I will only tie her and keep but will not kill her. After that, I will tear the pillowcase and use it to tie her hands and legs so that when I will kill, she will not struggle with me. But before I kill her, I will increase the volume of the television in the room so no one will suspect my action.
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“But before killing them, some of the victims will offer me some money to release them. I will collect their ATM PIN number and still kill her. After killing her I will stay in the room till daybreak until the laundry I gave me clothes to wash brings back my clothes. Then I will leave the hotel room leaving no suspicion in mind of the hotel management.
“I started the killing in Lagos. I killed a girl in Lagos, one in Owerri and five others in Port Harcourt. After killing them, I take their phones and sell it to one boy called Shina in Garrison.”
Some of the hotels where the women were allegedly killed in Port Harcourt include Tokyo Hotel in Elekahia; Ibinabo Hotel Rumuola and Nsirim Hotel Rumuokoro. While Tokyo has been sealed by the police after a lady’s body was recovered from the hotel room, others are still under investigation.