The police in Anambra State say they have arrested a domestic worker who allegedly murdered his employer and a popular bishop in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
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Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the unnamed domestic staff also stole and attempted to sell the slain bishop’s Prado SUV in Nkpor, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
He did not mention the slain cleric’s name, but only said he was a Pentecostal bishop of End Reconciliation Ministry, Asaba, Delta State.
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The police spokesperson said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday (today), along with another person who allegedly bought the stolen SUV from him.
He said police operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, arrested the two suspects following a tip-off on their activities.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect, who served as the Bishop’s driver and domestic staff, allegedly conspired with yet-to-be-identified criminals to murder the cleric before fleeing with the victim’s Prado Jeep to Anambra State for sale,” he said.
Mr Ikenga attached a photograph of the stolen SUV to the statement, but did not indicate the worth of the vehicle.
But PREMIUM TIMES’ checks showed the SUV is a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series and is worth between N55 million and N94 million, depending on the model.
How the suspects were arrested
Mr Ikenga said the police operatives, acting on a tip-off, tracked and intercepted the suspects in Nkpor, successfully recovered the stolen vehicle, and then took them into custody for further interrogation.
According to the spokesperson, the police in the state have begun an investigation to track down other members of the criminal gang involved in the incident to unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder.
He said the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, has advised residents to exercise due diligence in the recruitment and management of domestic staff, drivers and other household employees.
Mr Orutugu also urged Nigerians to properly profile and verify the identities of persons employed in their homes and establishments, and to remain vigilant to suspicious behaviours and activities of such domestic staff.
The commissioner assured Nigerians that the police in Anambra State remain committed to proactive policing, intelligence-driven operations, and collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property across the state.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Murder is outlawed in Section 315 (6) of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act.
Offenders, on conviction, face a death sentence, section 319 (1) said.
Several persons have been sentenced to death for murder across the country.
An Aiyetoro High Court in Ogun State, for instance, sentenced a man, Adelake Bara, to death by hanging in June 2022, for shooting and killing one Olaleye Oke.
A high court in Lokoja, Kogi State, in January 2022, also sentenced a man, Muritala Dare, to death by hanging for stabbing his colleague to death with a broken bottle.
