Ikechukwu Okoye, 33, and his 39-year-old girlfriend, Juliet Ogbodo, have been arrested by the Enugu State Police Command for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of 70-year-old Mrs. Mary Nwatu.
The couple, both hailing from Onuorie-Obuno in the Akpugo Community of Nkanu West Local Government Area, reportedly killed Mrs. Nwatu and buried her in a shallow grave before demanding a ransom of N6 million from her children. They were apprehended after accepting an initial payment of N20,000 from the victim’s family, supposedly to facilitate a phone call with her.
In a statement released Thursday night, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the police command’s spokesperson, informed the public that the arrests followed operational intelligence from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Mrs. Nwatu had been reported missing on September 15, 2024. Ndukwe stated that on October 5, 2024, Okoye, a relative of the victim, contacted her children to demand the ransom.
“Okoye later confessed to the police that he had abducted Mrs. Nwatu on September 14, 2024, around 8 am, when she visited their home in search of his mother,” Ndukwe explained. “He admitted to killing her and burying her remains in a shallow grave inside an unfinished building on the premises.”
Initially, Okoye demanded a ransom of N6 million but later negotiated it down to N3 million. He accepted the N20,000 payment on the condition that the family would hear their mother’s voice before making any further payments.
Juliet Ogbodo also confessed during questioning that she knew about the crime but failed to report it out of fear.
The remains of Mrs. Nwatu have since been exhumed and transferred to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Ndukwe assured the public that both suspects and any other individuals involved will face legal action once the investigation concludes. “The Enugu State Police Command is dedicated to ensuring justice for the victim and her family,” he stated.
