Police Arrest Suspects for Kidnapping, Murder of 70-Year-Old Kinswoman

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested two suspects, Ikechukwu Okoye, 33, and Juliet Ogbodo, 39, both residents of Onuorie-Obuno in the Akpugo Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area. They are implicated in the kidnapping and murder of Mrs. Mary Nwatu, a 70-year-old woman, whose body was discovered buried in a shallow grave.

Mrs Nwatu was reported missing on September 15, 2024, after extensive search efforts failed to locate her. On October 5, 2024, Ikechukwu Okoye, identified as the principal suspect and a relative of the victim, contacted her children, demanding a ransom of six million Naira (₦6,000,000).

Following credible intelligence reports, the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested Okoye. During interrogation, he confessed to kidnapping Mrs. Nwatu on September 14, 2024, at approximately 8:00 a.m. He stated that she had come to their house in search of his mother when he abducted, murdered, and buried her in a shallow grave inside an uncompleted building on the property.

SP Daniel Ndukwe disclosed that Okoye initially demanded a ransom of six million Naira (₦6,000,000), which was later negotiated down to three million Naira (₦3,000,000). Eventually, Okoye received a payment of twenty thousand Naira (₦20,000) to allow the victim’s children to hear their mother’s voice over the phone before any further payments.

Juliet Ogbodo, who is Okoye’s intimate girlfriend, admitted knowledge of the crime but failed to report it to the police or any relevant authorities.

The remains of the victim have been exhumed and sent to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy. The suspects, along with any others found complicit in this horrific crime, will be formally charged in court once the investigation is complete.