Police arraign suspected serial killer, David West in court

The suspected serial killer, Gracious David West has been arraigned before a high court by the Rivers State Police Command.

West is facing 10-count charges bordering on rape and murder.

Police had said on Wednesday that investigation has been concluded in the matter and would charge West court last week.

West who was arrested on September 19 on his way to Uyo was paraded on September 20th by the police.

However, residents had chided the police for their inability to arraign West in court, sparking conspiracy of a deeper cover-up.

Residents were also alarmed with the way the investigation was being carried out, especially footages showing the suspect being interviewed by a Rivers State Adhoc committee led by Kelechi Wogu, and called on the police to arraign West in court.

Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mustapha Dandaura, who addressed journalists while parading the suspect in September, said West was not tortured but was allowed to tell the story of his killing expedition.

He said: “The suspect is definitely not alone in these killings, though he had made useful confessions, the command will go beyond his confessions to ensure that a conclusive end is achieved that serves the interest of Justice.”

He said three other suspects have also been arrested in connection with the same crime and would be paraded next week.

The CP also blamed insecurity in the state on the high political division, calling on political gladiators in the state to come together and move the state forward.

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He promised that the command under him would be non-partisan in the discharge of its duties.

The suspect, David West, said he was involved in serial killing of women in Lagos, Owerri and Port Harcourt.

He said he had killed seven women with five of the killings in Port Harcourt and one each in Owerri and Lagos.

“I will get these women from clubs, take them in, make love to them, collect their ATM cards, transfer their money into my account, seize their phones and other valuables then I will loud the TV set and strangulate the girls while they are asleep.”

“I don’t know what comes over me to kill. After I have killed, I feel remorse and cry for killing, but after that, the irresistible urge to kill comes over me again. I kill alone.”

“I was a member of the Degbam Cult group, I have since repented. I am not killing for any cult group. I just kill. I don’t know what comes over me to kill.”

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“The first woman I killed in one of the hotels in Ikeja had about N85,000 in her account. Before I strangled them after lovemaking, I use the knife to cut the hotel bedding into a semblance of twine which I used to bind their hands and feet and also use the knife to threaten them.

“The kitchen knife was sold to me by an Aboki. I threaten that if they raised the alarm, I will kill them with the knife. Out fear, they kept quiet while I raised the volume of the television set in the hotel room to prevent any noise from my room. I never killed with the knife.”

The 39-year-old who hails from Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State said he had gone for deliverance in churches but the problem still persisted whilst also promising to take newsmen and the Police to the different hotels where he murdered his victims.

He also said he is an orphan and the only child of his deceased parents.