6 arrested over kidnap, murder of Ubulu-Uku king

The late Ubulu-Uku king

The late Ubulu-Uku king, Edward Akaeze Ofolue III murdered by his abductors in Jan 2016.

Jethro Ibileke/Asaba

Ubulu-Uku king Edward Akaeze Ofolue III.

The police in Delta State has arrested six persons in connection with the kidnap and gruesome murder of the traditional ruler of Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Edward Akaeze Ofolue III.

The state Commissioner of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, who disclosed this on Friday in Asaba, the state capital, said that in the evening of Tuesday, 5 January, 2016, information was received by the DPO of Igbodo through a text message that the Divisional Patrol team while on patrol was informed that an unregistered black Toyota Land Cruiser was seen abandoned in a bush along Obio/Igbodo road by unknown persons.

According to him, when the vehicle was recovered and taken to the police station, it was discovered through documents found in it, that the vehicle belongs to Obi Akaeze Edward, the Royal Majesty of Ubulu-Uku.

“In view of this revelation, the palace was contacted and it was gathered that the Obi left the palace alone in the said vehicle to Asaba earlier in the day,” the CP said, stressing that the Obi’s absence raised curiosity that he had been kidnapped.

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Usman said the hoodlums opened communication using the Obi’s phone and demanded for ransom on 6 January, 2016, noting that Pastor Charles Afamefuna who was found wandering was taken to Umunede police station and later confirmed that he was kidnapped together with the Obi.

“In the course of investigation, on 8 February, the late Obi’s Samsung handset was recovered from Jamilu Ahmed at Abraka market, Asaba and was promptly arrested. The suspect’s useful statement to investigators led to the arrest of Umar Abubakar that has claimed to have sold the handset to the former.

“Umar Abubakar claimed that a man nicknamed ‘Money Dey’ now at large gave him the Samsung handset to sell for him.”

CP Usman disclosed that Usman Musbau, who deleted the contacts from the Obi’s phone has been arrested, Suleman Musa, the second in command to the kidnap kingpin, Farida Abubakar, a girlfriend to Dogo who was in possession of Afamefuna’s Nokia Asha 201 phone was nabbed in Adamawa State and Garba Abubakar, the leader of the gang nicknamed Dogo, was arrested at a Fulani settlement in Alfarma village in Gangaza local government area of Sokoto State.

The CP assured that all those arrested in connection with the crime would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

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