Authorities in Abia State, Nigeria, have apprehended a pastor for questioning in relation to the tragic death of a female evangelist. The lifeless body of 43-year-old Happiness Echieze was discovered in a hotel room where both she and Pastor Timothy Otu, affiliated with the Agape Evangelical Ministry, had checked in. The unsettling incident unfolded on August 12, 2023, at approximately 9:23 pm in Ovom village.
The unfolding events took a grim turn when, in the dead of night, Happiness Echieze’s unclothed body was found in the same room. To complicate matters further, Pastor Timothy Otu was nowhere to be found at the scene.
ASP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, the Police Public Relations Officer from the Abia Police Command, released an official statement on the matter. It appears that the incident came to light due to the report of Godwin Akpan, a resident of Jubilee Guest House in Ovom village, Obingwa LGA. The statement explains:
“An individual named Timothy Otu, associated with the Agape Evangelical Ministry at Obikabia Junction, Obingwa LGA, checked into the guest house accompanied by Happiness Echieze, a 43-year-old woman from Isialangwa LGA, Abia State. The tragic turn of events occurred on the same date around midnight, when Mr. Akpan entered the hotel room of the aforementioned clergyman. To his dismay, he discovered the lifeless body of Happiness Echieze. She was found without clothing, and an unusual substance was emitting from her mouth and nose. Disturbingly, the clergyman was conspicuously absent from the scene.”
In the aftermath of this heart-wrenching incident, the deceased’s body was removed from the location and has been transferred to the SDA Mortuary in Aba. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted as part of the investigative process. The case has been referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for thorough examination, and the implicated suspect has been taken into custody.
