PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State – July 20, 2025 – A Port Harcourt-based Pastor, identified simply as Udechukwu, has been remanded in the Port Harcourt Correctional Center by an Oyigbo Chief Magistrate Court. The remand follows his alleged involvement in the attempted murder and brutal assault of Chief Gerald Okpara Obinozie, a 64-year-old man, at One Ward Estate, Umuebule 4, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Pastor Udechukwu was arraigned on four counts: conspiracy, assault occasioning harm, malicious damage, and attempted murder. Court documents allege that the Pastor and his accomplice, Prince Thompson, who remains at large, led over 30 church members. This group, reportedly armed with various dangerous weapons, allegedly attacked Chief Obinozie, inflicting machete cuts on him, doused him with fuel, and shockingly, forced him to drink the urine of female church members.
The perpetrators reportedly claimed that Chief Gerald Okwara Obinozie had been “oppressing some residents in their estate,” a justification vehemently condemned by rights advocates.
Tombari Dumka-Kote, Coordinator of the Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children, lauded the court’s decision, while simultaneously condemning the horrific actions attributed to the pastor and his church members.
“There is no justification for violence, and subjecting the 64-year-old to all manner of inhuman treatment, stripping him naked, videoing and having the videos posted on social media platforms, defaming him on false allegations, and handing him half dead to the Police after his colleague escaped and raised a call on residents to come out,” Dumka-Kote stated, highlighting the extreme brutality of the assault.
Dumka-Kote also recalled that on June 30, 2025, the Oyigbo Chief Magistrate Court had similarly remanded two other suspects, Okwudiri Justice and Victor Emmanuel Okoli, on related charges linked to this same case, indicating a broader investigation.
A statement made available to the press by Queeneth Igbara, Communications and Public Enlightenment Officer for the Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children, urged the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to prioritize the arrest of the fleeing prime suspect, Prince Thompson.
The Response Team expressed regret that perpetrators of such crimes often attempt to justify their actions and decried the alarming surge in violence observed across the State within the last two months. They affirmed their commitment to following the matter closely until justice is fully served. “As a Team, we are committed to curbing the growing menace of sexual and gender-based violence in Rivers State, and suspects must be made to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others,” the statement read.
Daily Independent gathered that Chief Gerald Okwara is currently recovering from the severe trauma and physical injuries he sustained during the attack. Organizations including the Centre for Justice, Empowerment and Development (C4J), Together to Win Foundation for the Deprived (T2W), and CAP-WIN Foundation were present at the Oyigbo Chief Magistrate Court proceedings, signaling broader civil society engagement.
Narrating his horrifying ordeal to newsmen, Chief Gerald Okwara Obinozie expressed profound gratitude for surviving the incident, asserting that “the mob was sent to kill him.” The 64-year-old wept as he recounted how female church members urinated in buckets and forced him to drink it, all after being accused of attempting to vandalize the church’s transformer.
