How NNPC Staff Was Killed On A Trip To Abuja

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)