According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Chinaka Maureen, “On the 13th of August, 2023, at approximately 09:30 AM, Mr. Godwin Akpan (male), residing at Jubilee Guest House in Ovom village, Obingwa LGA, reported to the Isiala Ngwa Police Division that an incident had occurred.
“It was revealed that on the evening of the 12th of August, 2023, around 09:25 PM, a clergyman named Timothy Otu (male), associated with Agape Evangelical Ministry at Obikabia Junction in Obingwa LGA, had checked into the guest house along with a woman named Happiness Echieze (female) from Isialangwa LGA, Abia State. Happiness Echieze was 43 years of age.
“Further details provided by Mr. Akpan indicated that on the same date, around 12:00 AM, he entered the hotel room of the aforementioned clergyman and discovered the lifeless body of Happiness Echieze. She was found unclothed, and a white substance was emanating from her mouth and nose. Regrettably, the clergyman was absent from the scene.
“We hereby inform the public that immediate preliminary investigations have been launched into this matter. The deceased’s body has been transported from the location and is currently at the SDA Mortuary in Aba, awaiting an autopsy examination.
“Additionally, we wish to convey that the suspected individual, in this case, has been apprehended and the case has been transferred to the State CID for discreet investigations.”
The married church evangelist and mother of five was found dead in a hotel room, allegedly during a marathon sex session with her church overseer in the guest house.
Probably starved of sex because her husband works in Bayelsa, she decided to take to the church Bishop for comfort when nature calls.
The deceased evangelist had lodged in a hotel with the Bishop/General Overseer of the church and a source said “nobody knows how long this had been happening,” stating that the evangelist, reported to have died in the hotel room around 11 pm on Saturday, August 12, 2023, arrived the guest jouse probably around 9 pm, having told her children that she was going for a “Tarry Night” church service that usually would have ended by about 12:30 am the next Sunday.
“Either it was pre-arranged or her inability to come home after the church service may have prompted her to accept being quartered in the quest house till morning,” the source said.
It was reported that at about 10:55 pm, the Bishop, who had lodged in with her, looking horribly disturbed, surfaced at the hotel front desk, telling those on the night shift that he was going to buy food at that time of the night.
“The hotel workers promptly reported the observation to the manager who went to the room to know what happened, only to see the lifeless naked body of the evangelist on the hotel bed,” the source said.
The manager of the hotel, who suspected foul play, was said to have reported the incident to the Eastern Ngwa Police Station in Obingwa Local Government Area around 1 am on Sunday morning.
“The woman was found lying naked with foam coming out of her mouth and nose when police arrived the scene,” it was reported, observing that when her mobile phone was accessed, it was discovered that the duo have been in a romantic relationship for quite some time.
The bishop, relatively known in Aba, was subsequently arrested at his Church at Obikabia Junction while preaching that Sunday morning and is said to be currently detained at the Eastern Ngwa Police Station Obingwa.
The deceased is said to be a native of Umuatakawom in Obingwa, while her husband was said to be at work in Bayelsa State when the incident happened.
