Evangelist kills wife, four-week-old baby, Commits suicide

Confusion is the situation report in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State as a 35-year-old evangelist, Mr. Brown Batta, allegedly killed his four-week-old son and wife.

The young man SUNDAY PUNCH also gathered moments after killing his wife and child equally killed himself.

Residents of Nung Anya Street in Uyo are still confused over what would have made Batta embark on the killing spree.

The incident, our correspondent learnt, took place last Tuesday.

Narrating the ugly episode to SUNDAY PUNCH, on Friday, the landlord of No. 23, Nung Anya Street, where all the deceased were living before their death, Mr. James Atakpa, said the incident came to him as a shock.

Atakpa described Batta as a gentleman, who was known as an evangelist and wondered why he decided to carry out the gruesome act.

The landlord explained that he had already gone to bed after taking his medication on the fateful day when he heard a scream within his compound.

"Initially, I thought armed robbers had struck, but when I eventually came out, I saw a crowd gathered in front of my house. I later saw some people forcing the door to Batta's room open.

"When that was done, what happened was something I could not stand to behold. I was later told that one of my tenants had killed his four-week-old baby, his wife and himself.

"I am very ill as you can see and that was why I left the scene of the incident so that it will not worsen my condition. The man and his baby were found dead with blood stains all over the place," Atakpa stated.

He added that the evangelist's wife, who was initially breathing was rushed to the hospital, where she later died the following day after losing so much blood.

Atakpa said he was told by those at the scene that Batta stabbed his wife before hitting the head of the baby against the wall.

He also disclosed that Batta was found lying helplessly on the floor with deep laceration on his neck, while a part of his stomach was ripped open.

He said the woman's brother, who was shocked on hearing the incident, immediately called in the police, who came in and took the corpses away.

Speaking on the matter, the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Walter Rugbere, described the incident as an open and closed matter, adding that after investigation, it was alleged that Batta killed his wife, baby before committing suicide.

Rugbere added that some people alleged that Batta took the action when he suspected that his wife was cheating on him.

"There is nothing we can do about it because the man that was at the centre of the whole incident has already killed himself. It is an open and close case," the police