The Nigeria Police Force, Anambra State Command on Friday, paraded three members of a criminal gang that killed a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka, Mr Osita Duruoha in September this year.
The suspects were among several suspects paraded at the command headquarters, Amawbia, for various criminal offences.
They include Nwobodo Samuel Obumneme ‘m’ aged 26yrs, Malachi Chinedu Uzochukwu ‘m’ 28yrs and Ifesinachi Ogechukwu ‘m’, aged 28yrs.
Duruoha was reported missing on Wednesday, 28th September 2022, by the INEC.
However, on Thursday, 29th September, his dead body was found along Isu-Aniocha-Urum road in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, where unknown persons dumped him.
One of the suspects paraded for killing the late INEC staff, Mr Nwobodo Samuel Obumneme said he, alongside two of his gang members allegedly strangled Duruoha, with the aim of dispossessing him of his shuttle bus.
Nwobodo said: “We hired him to use his shuttle bus to take us to Urum from Ifite, and our intention was to steal his bus, but later we had to strangle him and take the bus.”
Addressing journalists while parading the suspects, the Anambra State police commissioner, CP Echeng Echeng said: “On 28th September, 2022, a 2-man gang of armed robbers who specialize in snatching shuttle buses around Ifite-Awka, pretended to be passengers and boarded a shuttle bus belonging and driven by an INEC Staff, Mr. Osita Duruoha ‘m’ 43yrs.
“The duo boarded the shuttle bus at Ifite on the pretence that they were going to Isu-Anaocha on an agreed fare of N3,000.
“On getting to Urum/Isu-anaocha road which is an Isolated area the duo ordered the driver to stop and one of the suspects, Chinedu Malachi who was seated behind the driver used a rope to strangulate the driver from behind.
“Thereafter, they dumped the corpse of the deceased in a nearby bush and drove the shuttle bus to Enugu where they wanted to sell it.
“Detectives from State CID were able to arrest the suspects in Enugu and the deceased shuttle bus recovered.
“The suspects namely; Nwobodo Samuel Obumneme ‘m’ aged 26yrs, Malachi Chinedu Uzorchukwu ‘m’ 28yrs and Ifecchinachi Ogechukwu ‘m’, aged 28yrs have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court.”
The commissioner also paraded a 20 years old man who allegedly connived with his gang to kill his step mother, a staff of National Population Commission, with the hope of transferring N1million from her account, after he found out her password.
He said: “On 28th September, 2022 at about 0200hrs, one Mrs. Theresa Okeke ‘f’ aged 54yrs, an Accountant with National Population Commission, Awka was gruesomely murdered in her residence at No. 4 Umuzocha, Awka.
“Immediately the case was reported, her step son, Ekenedilichukwu Okeke ‘m’, aged 20yrs who slept in the same house with the deceased was arrested for interrogation.
“He claimed that armed robbers stormed their residence and killed his step mother.
“However, after an intelligence-based interrogation, he eventually confessed to the crime and named his accomplices.”
The Police commissioner who vowed to sustain efforts at stamping out crime and criminality from the state, urged the general public to continue to avail the command credible intelligence that will enable them do their job effectively.
