A 33-year-old man, Ikechukwu Okoye, and his girlfriend, Juliet Ogbodo, 39, have been arrested by the Enugu State Police for allegedly abducting and murdering a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Mary Nwatu.
The couple, from Onuorie-Obuno in Akpugo Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area, allegedly buried the victim in a shallow grave and demanded a N6 million ransom from her children.
They were caught after collecting N20, 000 from the family to facilitate a phone call with the victim.
A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad made the arrest.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that Mrs. Nwatu was reported missing on September 15, 2024.
Ndukwe explained, “On October 5, 2024, Ikechukwu Okoye, identified as the principal suspect and a kinsman of the victim, began contacting her children, demanding a ransom of N6m.
“Upon his arrest, which followed credible intelligence reports, Okoye confessed to kidnapping Mrs Nwatu on September 14, 2024, around 8:00 am.
“He stated that the victim came to their house to look for his mother when he kidnapped, murdered, and buried her in a shallow grave inside an uncompleted building in the compound.”
He added that Okoye also confessed to demanding a ransom from the victim’s children, initially asking for N6 million which was later negotiated to N3 million.
“He eventually received payment of N20, 000 which was to allow the children to hear their mother’s voice via the phone before further payments.”
Ndukwe explained that upon interrogation, Okoye’s mistress confessed to being aware of the crime but failed to report it to the police or any other relevant authorities for being afraid.
“The victim’s corpse has been exhumed and deposited at a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
“The suspects, along with any other individuals found complicit in this heinous crime, will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations,” Ndukwe added.
