The Enugu State Police Command has arrested two individuals in connection with the kidnapping, murder, and burial of a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Mary Nwatu, whose remains were discovered in a shallow grave in September 2024.
A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said the suspects – Ikechukwu Okoye, aged 33, and Juliet Ogbodo, aged 39 – both residents of Onuorie-Obuno in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area—are facing charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder.
The police investigation began after Mrs. Nwatu was reported missing on September 15, 2024.
Despite efforts by her family to locate her, no trace of the elderly woman could be found until October 5, when Okoye, identified as the primary suspect, began contacting Nwatu’s children, demanding a ransom of six million Naira.
Late Mrs. Mary Nwatu
Okoye, a kinsman of the victim, was arrested following credible intelligence reports.
During interrogation, he confessed to kidnapping Mrs. Nwatu on September 14, 2024, after she visited his house in search of his mother.
He admitted to murdering her and burying her body in a shallow grave within an uncompleted building in his compound.
Okoye also revealed that he initially demanded a ransom of six million Naira, which was later reduced to three million Naira.
However, only twenty thousand Naira was paid to Okoye, who then allowed the victim’s family to hear her voice via phone before further ransom demands.
Juliet Ogbodo, Okoye’s girlfriend, was also arrested after she confessed to knowing about the crime but failing to report it to the authorities.
The remains of Mrs. Nwatu have since been exhumed and sent to the morgue for autopsy.
The police have stated that further investigations are ongoing, and all individuals involved in the crime will be brought to justice.
The suspects will be arraigned in court once the investigation is concluded.
The Enugu State Police Command has urged the public to continue cooperating with law enforcement in the fight against crime, emphasizing that the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on those responsible for such heinous acts.
