By Endy NDULAKA, South-east Bureau chief Investigator, Owerri.
SUSPECTED killers of the St Patrick’s Catholic Church Amucha in Njaba local government area of Imo State, Rev. Fr. Jude Egbom were yesterday Thursday September 13, 2018 paraded by the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, CP Dasuki Galadanchi with the suspect claiming that they didn’t know their victim to be a cleric. The Police boss said the suspects on Monday September 10, 2018 shot dead the cleric and made away his valuables including cash. According to him, after the dastardly act, operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to the Command swung into action sniffing all the nooks and crannies of the state adding that their operation paid off three days after arresting some of the suspects and recovering some of the valuables of the late Priest. He gave the names of the suspects as Messrs Chigozie Uzoukwu, 33, Peter Ochokwu, 2, Kelechi Nnajiuba,24, Ifeanyi Chukwukere, 28 and Ekene Ohaeri, 27 adding that the duo of Chigozie Ugochukwu and Peter Ochukwu who he said was an ex-convict were earlier arrested in Nkwerre on September 11, 2018.
addressing newsmen, the CP said, “On September 11 at Owerri Nkwoji, in the Nkwerre LGA, Imo State, F-SARS operatives, led by CSP Godfrey Victor, acting on a tip-off arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of Rev. Fr. Jude Egbom. The suspects are one Peter Ochokwu, 21, of Umuibu, in Owerre Nkworji, Nkwerre LGA and Chigozie Uzoukwu ,33, of same address; adding “A black Toyota Corolla, with number plate, FKJ 984 EV, belonging to the hoodlums who robbed and murdered the cleric was recovered. “Interestingly, one of the shoes of the reverend father was found in the abandoned car. The second leg of the shoe was found in the Toyota Corolla of the suspects. Some of the property in the suspect’s car were found with the one of the suspects in his house.”
Galadanchi disclosed that one Raphael, the operator of the barber’s where the priest had gone to shave before he was murdered, had also been arrested for questioning.
CP Galadanchi informed that Messrs Kelechi Nnajiuba, Ifeanyi Chukwukere and Ekene Ohaeri had been in police custody for the kidnapping a worker with the National Population Commission stressing that the suspects collected N5m ransom, shot the victim’s police orderly and collected his AK-47 rifle with which they had been using to terrorize hapless citizens of the state.
Items recovered according to the Police boss included a pair of shoes and traveling bag belonging to the slain cleric, two vehicles and 46 pieces of Permanent Voter Cards vowing that the Police had commenced manhunt for the fleeing gang leaders.
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