A 33-year-old man, Ikechukwu Okoye, and his 39-year-old girlfriend, Juliet Ogbodo, have been arrested by the Enugu State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Mary Nwatu.
The suspects, both from Onuorie-Obuno in Akpugo Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state, are accused of killing the victim and burying her in a shallow grave before demanding a ransom of N6 million from her children.
They were apprehended after receiving N20,000 from the family, ostensibly to facilitate a phone call with the victim.
In a statement issued Thursday night, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, revealed that the arrest was made by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad, based on credible intelligence.
According to Ndukwe, preliminary investigations showed that Mrs. Nwatu was reported missing on September 15, 2024.
“On October 5, 2024, the principal suspect, Ikechukwu Okoye, who is also a kinsman of the victim, contacted her children, demanding a ransom of N6 million,” Ndukwe stated.
Okoye was later arrested and reportedly confessed to the crime.
“He admitted abducting Mrs. Nwatu on September 14, 2024, at about 8 am when she came to their house to look for his mother.
“He further confessed to killing her and burying her in a shallow grave inside an uncompleted building in the compound,” the police officer said.
The suspect also admitted to demanding a ransom from the victim’s children, initially requesting N6 million before negotiating it down to N3 million.
However, he accepted an initial payment of N20,000 on the condition that the family would hear their mother’s voice over the phone before making further payments.
Juliet Ogbodo, Okoye’s girlfriend, also confessed during interrogation that she was aware of the crime but claimed she did not report it to authorities out of fear.
The victim’s remains have since been exhumed and taken to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Ndukwe assured the public that the suspects, along with any others found complicit, would be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded.
“The Enugu State Police Command remains committed to ensuring justice for the victim and her family,” Ndukwe said.
