By Amos Igbebe
Delta State Police Command has paraded six persons in connection with the kidnap and gruesome murder of the Monarch of Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state, His Royal Highness (HRH) Obi Edward Akaeze Ofolue III.
The Commissioner of Police (CP) Mr. Alkali Baba Usman who paraded them in Asaba, said, “on Tuesday th5 January, 2016, information was received by the Divisional Police Officer 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 person(s).
According to the CP, the said vehicle was recovered to the police station where a search conducted on the vehicle revealed that some documents found indicated that it belongs to Obi Akaeze Edward, the Royal Majesty of Ubulu-Uku.
He said “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”, stressing that “the Obi’s absent raised curiosity that he has been kidnapped”.
Usman said the hooligans opened communication using the Obi’s phone and demanded for ransom on February 6, 2016, noting that one 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 2016 the late Obi’s Samsung handset was recovered from one Jamilu Ahmed at Abraka market Asaba and was promptly arrested. The suspect’s useful statement to investigators led to the arrest of one Umar Abubakar that claimed to have sold the handset to the former, the Umar Abubakar claimed that one “money dey” presently at large gave him the said Samsung handset to sell for him”.
CP Usman disclosed that one Usman Musbau, who deleted the contacts from the Obi’s phone has been arrested, Suleman Musa, the second in command of the kidnap kingpin, Farida Abubakar, a girlfriend to Dogo who was in possession of the Afamefuna’s Nokia Asha 201 phone was napped 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 command assured that all in connection with the crime would be brought to book.
Meanwhile, our correspondent observed that the suspected murderers of the Ubulu-Uku monarch who were paraded before newsmen were not handcuffed while other criminals paraded alongside with them were on handcuff.
Also, while a young man believed to be a police officer was speaking Hausa language to the bandits who killed the monarch, others had no officer speaking their own languages to them even as the Ubulu-Uku monarch’s murder suspects were well dressed compared to the others. The situation then arouse concern from journalists.
But when asked why the disparity, CP Usman replied whether journalists were on investigation or to get the story. He also warned reporters to stop using recorders to intimidate the suspects while Farida Ababukar, the girlfriend to Garba Abubakar, was led away by an officer from being interviewed by journalists.
The other 10 suspects who were handcuffed were arrested from across the state with crime ranging from armed robbery, kidnap and cultism.
