A woman who died following a stabbing in Manchester has been named as 43-year-old Alberta Obinim.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident, which happened at around 11.20pm on Sunday in Barnard Road, Gorton, Greater Manchester Police said.
Two other people, a 17-year-old girl and a 64-year-old man, also sustained life-threatening injuries after suffering “serious stab wounds” at a property on the road, according to the force.
Police are speaking to witnesses to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, according to the force, early indications suggest the suspect was known to the victims, and it is being treated as an isolated incident.
Community leader, Ibrahim Abu, described Ms Obinim as a “lovely woman” who “always made sure people were smiling”.
He told Sky News the news of her death had come as a “big blow” to the community.
“Yesterday she was at church, dancing and praising. She was at church… and we wake up and hear she has died,” Mr Abu said.
He said the community is “pleading to God” to help heal the two other injured victims.
“We hope they will come back to us in good health,” he said.
A crime scene is still in place on Barnard Road while police continue to investigate.
Detective Superintendent Toby Facey said: “We understand that the local community and further afield across Greater Manchester will be rightly shocked and concerned after waking up and hearing this tragic news this morning.
“Our thoughts remain with those affected and their loved ones at this difficult time. We are doing all we can to support them.”
DS Facey said within minutes of a call being made, officers were at the scene, and that an arrest had been made.
“An investigation has been launched and we are in the very early stages of our enquiries. We have had detectives on the ground who have been working throughout the night trying to get to the bottom of what has happened and why,” he added.
“Local officers will remain in the area making inquiries, as well as an increased number of highly visible patrols.”
He encouraged the public to speak to officers in the area if they have any concerns.
As screams echoed across Barnard Road in Gorton neighbours rushed from their homes. One living nearby was watching television in bed when they heard ‘a moaning’.
She looked out the window and shouted to her family: “Someone’s being attacked outside”.
She and her boyfriend ran down the stairs and out into the street where they found a child hiding in bushes. She quickly wrapped the youngster in her arms and rushed into her home.
Moments earlier, Alberta Obinim had woken to the same screams. Her family was under attack.
The 43-year-old reportedly plucked the child from their room and rushed her from the property. In saving the youngster, Alberta was stabbed several times. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Eyewitnesses told the MEN how others were forced to flee the home – some being forced to escape through the window as a knifeman launched a savage attack.
The pair had worked together doing home visits for Chrysallis Care, where she was a hugely popular member of the team. The colleague said: “She was a laugh, she was just funny. I would non-stop laugh with her. The people we used to care for loved her. It was non-stop laughing with her, she was amazing.”
She added: “I want to let her family know she was loved. Her family don’t realise how much the girls – her colleagues – do appreciate her. I don’t think anybody would have a bad word to say about her, she was lovely, really nice. She was well loved at work.”
Emergency services were scrambled to Barnard Road at about 11.20pm on Sunday (August 18) after reports that three people had been stabbed.
Police, including firearms officers, and paramedics discovered all three had been seriously injured.. Alberta, a mother-of-four died at the scene.
She was a member of the city’s Ghananian community and attended Blessed Baptist Temple Church, which is based in Levenshulme.
Family friend, Ibrahim Abu, also known as Obudu, said: “She was a very nice lady, I knew her very well. We all go to church together. She always talked to people and was a mother to everyone. She was always laughing.”
Derrick Wiafe described Ms Obinim as a “powerful and inspirational woman”.
As a huge police cordon remained in place in Barnard Road and forensic officers continued to work in the street, neighbours spoke of the horrific scenes they witnessed.
One said he was sitting in his car when he saw the knifeman “chase” the girl down the street before stabbing her. “I heard the neighbours saying ‘get in, get in’ said the man, who gave his name as Reece.
“There was a guy with a knife chasing a girl. I said ‘leave her alone, it’s not worth it’. She fell and he stabbed her.
“I turned my car towards him but the girl was in the way. He started chasing my car with a knife.” Another woman said she heard people ‘screaming’ and said she saw a young man ‘running in and out of the house’.
“They were saying ‘he’s got a knife’, she said. “It was terrifying, People were staying inside, no one wanted to go out.”
Detective Superintendent Toby Facey said: “We understand that the local community and further afield across Greater Manchester will be rightly shocked and concerned after waking up and hearing this tragic news this morning.
“Our thoughts remain with those affected and their loved ones at this difficult time. We are doing all we can to support them.
“Within minutes of the call being made, our officers were at the scene and an arrest had been made.
“An investigation has been launched and we are in the very early stages of our enquiries. We have had detectives on the ground who have been working throughout the night trying to get to the bottom of what has happened and why.
“Local officers will remain in the area making enquiries, as well as an increased number of highly visible patrols. If you have any concerns, please speak to them.
“We are appealing for any information; we would like to speak to anyone who had witnessed this incident to please come forward. We are also interested in speaking to anyone who was in the surrounding area near to Barnard Road at around 11pm and have any dashcam footage, this might be a help for us in piecing together what happened.
Source: Yahoo News
