Fresh facts have emerged on how officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service and Police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder rejected a N9 million bribe by the suspected killer of a realtor , Richard Ekpebu in Yenagoa,Bayelsa State.
The suspect, George Idumangi, was arrested on Monday in Lagos after escaping from Yenagoa and was about to travel out of the country.
Investigation revealed the commander of Puff Adder, Chris Nwagbo, following weeks of painstaking digging, had identified the location of the suspect and immediately interfaced with NIS officials in Lagos and the Station Officer of Area E Police Command, Festac.
Unaware that the law was closing in on him, Idumangi had gone to the immigration office to collect his international passport when he was promptly arrested.
In his desperation to get off the hook, he first offered the NIS officials N4 million bribe not to arrest him, which they rejected.
He also offered them another N2 million to allow him to delete a file from his mobile phone, a request which was turned down.
In the desperation to destroy any evidence linking him to the murder of Ekpebu, Idumangi offered another N3 million to NIS officials and begged them not to hand over his phone to the police.
Findings also indicated that when the police team led by Nwagbo, arrived Lagos to move the suspect to Yenagoa, he offered the police team N9 million bribe, which the team turned down.
Police sources said investigation had uncovered how Idumangi allegedly conspired with one Victor Sharack and another suspect,Insurance to kill Ekpebu in June at Bayelsa Palm Road, Yenagoa.
Also arrested was Idumangi’s girlfriend, Victory Bernard Henry, who is believed to be the armourer to the criminal gang.
It was gathered that a petition from the deceased’s family over the delay in the investigation had prompted Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police,Francis Idu, to order the transfer of the case to the Puff Adder team.
Following the trail of information gathered in the case, Nwagbo and his team had stormed the residence of Victory, where they recovered one Pump Action Gun , five live cartridges, two empty AK-47 magazines, 10 walkie-talkies, five chargers, and three AK-47 slings.
Upon interrogation, she provided useful information regarding the murder of Ekpebu and also a tip-off that led the police team to Idumangi.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Government has condemned in strong terms the gruesome murder of an Egweama Indigene, Collins Kuromie-Ayebaye, at Beletiama community in Brass Local Government of the state.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the condemnation at an emergency meeting with community stakeholders from Beletiama and Egweama, security agencies, as well as government functionaries in Government House, Yenagoa, over the sad development.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Doubara Atasi, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, condoled the bereaved family, describing the murder of Collins, popularly known as Laku, as barbaric and provocative.
The deputy governor, however, appealed to the people of Egweama Community to remain calm as the state government had swung into action, adding that the suspect, Kina John, had already been arrested and was currently in the custody of the Nigerian Navy.
