Police in Enugu State have arrested a 33-year-old man, Ikechukwu Okoye, and his girlfriend, Juliet Ogbodo, for their alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Mary Nwatu.
The crime, which occurred in September 2024, shocked the Akpugo Community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The Enugu State Police Command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Thursday. According to Ndukwe, Mrs. Nwatu was reported missing on September 15, 2024, after efforts by her family to locate her proved futile. The investigation later revealed a grim story of betrayal, ransom demands, and murder.
Ndukwe disclosed that the principal suspect, Okoye, a kinsman of the victim, had allegedly orchestrated the crime. On October 5, 2024, he began contacting the victim’s children, demanding a ransom of ₦6 million for her release.
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“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was kidnapped on September 14, 2024, around 8 a.m., when she came to the suspect’s house in search of his mother,” Ndukwe stated. “Okoye confessed to kidnapping Mrs. Nwatu, murdering her, and burying her in a shallow grave within an uncompleted building in their compound.”
The suspect admitted that, after an initial demand for ₦6 million, he later reduced it to ₦3 million. In a chilling twist, Okoye received ₦20,000 from the victim’s children, allegedly to allow them to hear their mother’s voice over the phone before further payments.
The investigation also implicated Okoye’s girlfriend, Juliet Ogbodo, who was accused of being aware of the crime but failing to report it to the authorities. “The second suspect, Juliet Ogbodo, confessed to knowing about the crime but chose not to report it to the police or any other relevant authority,” Ndukwe explained.
Police operatives exhumed Mrs. Nwatu’s remains from the shallow grave and transported them to 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.
The shocking betrayal and gruesome nature of the crime have left the local community in mourning. Meanwhile, the police have assured the public of their commitment to ensuring justice for the victim and her grieving family.