Benue catechist flees following lover’s death during abortion

A man, Oliver Vershima, said to be a catechist with the St Martin’s Catholic Church, Mbape, in Kwande LGA of Benue State has fled following the death of his alleged lover after a failed abortion.

Vershima was said to be working in the St Augustine’s zone of his parish in Jov Mbahura community when the incident occurred.

A resident told journalists in Makurdi that Vershima was accosted on Saturday at about 7pm with a woman’s corpse while attempting to dispose it, and that on interrogation, he confessed that he impregnated the victim and tried to abort the pregnancy during which she died in the early hours of Saturday and that he hid her body in his room until night to enable him sneak the corpse out of the village and dispose it.

He was however caught according to the witness while allegedly taking the body of the deceased away from the village but later escaped with his whereabouts unknown.

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Benue catechist flees following lover’s death during abortion

The resident further said that in the course of residents questioning him, Vershima tactically withdrew from them and escaped.

He added though the deceased woman hailed from Morev village, her identity was yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the police spokeswoman of the state, SP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident, said, “The corpse of the said young girl who was said to have visited her man friend was recovered to the mortuary after a report was received, but the said Oliver is yet to be seen.

“Investigation is ongoing.”