ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a driver and his alleged accomplice over the gruesome killing of a Delta-based cleric, Bishop Clarence Chinedu Okonkwo of End-Reconciliation Ministry, Asaba.
The suspects were apprehended in Onitsha while allegedly trying to sell the late bishop’s Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep for N10 million after fleeing Delta State.
Police authorities said the prime suspect, identified as Uchenna Nicholas Obiagwu, who worked as the bishop’s driver, allegedly attacked and killed his employer inside his residence in Ibusa, near Asaba, on Monday.
According to preliminary investigations, the cleric was reportedly struck on the head with a pestle before the suspects made away with his vehicle and mobile phones.
Parading the suspects in Awka on Wednesday, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, disclosed that the arrest followed intelligence reports received by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu.
He explained that the suspects had approached a car dealer at the Mgbuka Spare Parts Market in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area, in a bid to dispose of the stolen vehicle.
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The transaction, however, reportedly raised suspicion after a prospective buyer questioned the circumstances surrounding the sale and alerted security operatives.
“The breakthrough followed a swift intelligence-led operation by operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, which led to the arrest of the suspect and another individual alleged to be the buyer of the stolen vehicle,” Orutugu said.
“Police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, tracked and intercepted the suspects in Nkpor, recovered the stolen vehicle, and took them into custody for further interrogation.”
The police commissioner noted that the arrest was made possible through collaboration and intelligence sharing between the Anambra and Delta State police commands.
He added that investigations were ongoing to track down other suspected members of the gang linked to the killing.
Orutugu also appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, vigilante groups and residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely information capable of helping to curb criminal activities across the state.
According to him, sustained security operations in the South-East have forced many criminal elements to flee their hideouts, stressing that intelligence from residents remains critical in tracking them down.
The commissioner assured residents that the command would continue to prioritise proactive policing and intelligence-driven operations to safeguard lives and property.