A 33-year-old man, Ikechukwu Okoye, and his 39-year-old partner, Juliet Ogbodo, have been apprehended by the Enugu State Police Command on charges of kidnapping and murdering 70-year-old Mrs. Mary Nwatu.
The couple, both hailing from Onuorie-Obuno in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area, is alleged to have killed the elderly woman and buried her in a shallow grave before demanding a ransom of N6 million from her children.
The duo was arrested after the family transferred a sum of N20,000 to the suspects, who claimed it was for facilitating a phone call with the victim.
The arrest was made following credible intelligence gathered by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Enugu State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, detailed the events leading to the suspects’ capture.
Preliminary investigations indicated that Mrs. Nwatu had been reported missing on September 15, 2024, and her family had been desperately searching for her since.
On October 5, 2024, Okoye, the primary suspect and a relative of the victim, allegedly made contact with the family and demanded a ransom of N6 million for her safe return.
He later negotiated the ransom amount down to N3 million but initially accepted a smaller sum of N20,000, promising that the family would hear their mother’s voice before proceeding with the remaining payment.
The suspect confessed during interrogation to abducting Mrs. Nwatu on September 14, 2024, when she had visited their home to search for Okoye’s mother.
He admitted to killing her and burying her body in a shallow grave located inside an uncompleted building within their compound. Okoye also revealed that he had demanded the ransom to extort money from the victim’s family.
Juliet Ogbodo, Okoye’s girlfriend, also confessed to knowing about the crime, though she claimed she failed to report it to the authorities out of fear.
The victim’s body has since been exhumed from the shallow grave and taken to the mortuary for an autopsy and preservation.
The Enugu State Police Command has reassured the public that justice will be served, and both suspects, along with any others implicated in the crime, will face legal action once investigations are concluded.
“The Enugu State Police Command remains committed to ensuring justice for the victim and her family,” DSP Daniel Ndukwe affirmed.
