The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS)
has arrested nine persons, including a native doctor in connection with
the killing of a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC). The Deputy Commissioner of Police FSARS, Mr Chris Ezike,
confirmed the arrest while speaking with a correspondent of the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday.
Ezike,
who is of the Adeniji-Adele Police Station, said that the suspects
committed the crime on Sept. 23, 2012. He gave the name of the NNPC
staff as Mr Sylvester Emefiele, who worked with NNPC’s Transformation
Office in Abuja. Continue after the cut...
The
commissioner said that the wife of the victim, Ngozi, had petitioned
the Inspector-General of police in September, 2012 over the
disappearance of her husband after leaving Lagos for Abuja.
Ezike
said that the woman revealed that her husband left Lagos for Abuja on
the invitation of his boss to process his visa for a training programme
in Hungary.
“She
claimed her husband sent her SMS on Sept. 23, 2012 at about 8.37 p.m
that he was at Gwagwalada and that was the last she heard from him.
“She
also stated that surprisingly, she noticed that withdrawals were being
made from her husband’s accounts through ATM,’’ he said.
Ezike
said that the arrest was made possible through scientific tracking of
the mobile phone line of the victims, stressing that a school drop-out
was first arrested in Ilesa, Osun with the victim’s blackberry handset.
“The suspect confessed that he bought the phone from one of the suspects, a cab driver in Modakeke in Osun State for N22, 000.
He added that after the arrest of the cab driver in Abuja, they were able to arrest others in connection with the crime.
“Two
of the suspects confessed that they picked up the victim in their taxi
cab with registration No. AG 956 KEF at Giri in the Gwagwalada Area
Council to be dropped at Finance Quarters, Wuye, Abuja.
“The
driver of the cab was the one that picked the victim and picked the
second suspect some metres away even as the victim protested, the driver
pleaded with the victim that the man was his brother.
“The
second suspect claimed he brought out hammer as a decoy for pistol as
soon as he entered the front of the cab. They subdued the victim and
took him to a nearby bush.
“They claimed they search and dispossessed him of his laptop, N3,000 cash, three ATM cards and other items.
“They
claimed they forced the victim to disclose his ATM pin numbers. One of
the suspects went to the banks to withdraw N180, 000 immediately and the
second suspect watch over the victim.
“They
claimed that after they discovered the victim had more money in his
accounts, they used charm prepared by the native doctor on him and he
became weak.
“They claimed they discovered that the man died the following day and they abandoned the corpse in the bus and escaped.
“On
June 10th, 2013, the two suspects led the DCP and crime scene forensic
experts led by the police doctor, Emenike Chinenyenwa, to the scene
located at Idu along Airport Road, eight kilometres from Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport junction, Abuja.
“At the scene, we met a completely decomposed skeleton suspected to be the remains of the victim.
“The bones of the legs were still stuck in the jeans trousers while his ribs were scattered around.
“His wrist watch, one leg of his sandals and the twine rope used in tying him and other belongings were recovered there.
“The remains have been packaged by forensic experts for autopsy by the police pathologist.
“The
victim’s family members were invited to identify the items recovered.
The wife and younger brother were able to identify them.
“The two suspects also led detectives to arrest the native doctor that prepared the charm in Ipetumodu, Osun State.
“Our
investigation has been able to established offences of criminal
conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery and culpable homicide,’’ Ezike
said.
The
DCP said that after the DNA test on the bones and tooth of the victim,
the report by the Force Chief Consultant Pathologist, Dr Akhiwu Wilson,
showed that they were similar to that of the victim’s son and his
brother.
“The suspects were first arraigned on Nov. 19, 2013 at High Court, FCT, Abuja.
“The suspects are coming to court again on Jan. 31, 2014 now that the lab result is out,’’ Ezike added. (NAN)
Follow on Twitter: @RhodwellikeBlog
Like us on Facebook: Rhodwell Ike's Blog
BB PIN: 280d70d4
Please always drop your comments.
