Woman stabbed by suspected prison escapee is alive

The police in Imo State have said a woman who was stabbed by a suspected prison escapee did not die, contrary to reports in the local media.
The suspect stabbed the woman, Sandra Onyema, on Sunday at Umuejechi village, Nekede, a community in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Reports in the local media said a suspect had stabbed a pregnant woman to death after she refused to give out money as demanded by him.
But the police spokesperson said the woman did not die and was not pregnant.
“The woman whom the irate mob presumed dead is alive but unconscious, (and) receiving treatment in Holy Family Hospital Ikenegbu Owerri, Imo State,” he said.
“More so, she is not pregnant.”
Mr Abattam said police operatives rescue the suspect, Ifeanyi Okoro, from being lynched by the mob.

He said Mr Okoro has been taken to a police hospital for treatment after being rejected by two other hospitals in the state.
The police statement did not, however, say if Mr Okoro was a suspected prison escapee.

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“Unfortunately, before their (police) arrival, the irate mob who were in their numbers, have inflicted several machetes cuts of various degrees on the suspect, threatening to lynch him when they were stopped by the police operatives, after several persuasive pleas,” the police spokesperson said.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mohammed Barde, commended the officers for the rescue of the suspect, Mr Abattam said.
Mr Barde condemned the action of the mob, describing it as “barbaric and unacceptable in law”.
He urged residents not to resort to “self-help in criminal matters” but to report cases to the relevant security agencies for action.

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