° Recover 335 rounds ammunition from bandits’ supplier
A native doctor and his brother have been arrested for allegedly killing his client and a commercial motorcycle rider,who brought him to the shrine in Agbor Delta State.
The bodies of Friday Liberty, 22 and the cyclist who brought him to the shrine have been evacuated in a Soak away pit near the shrine.
It was gathered that on September 30, liberty a regular client to the native doctor, had visited his herbalist, whom he had known for some time ,but this time, he never returned.
The family, who initially didn’t know what happened to him , started looking for him.
His girlfriend, later informed the family that she overheard the conversation about the said Friday liberty and a certain herbalist, and advised that they should reach out to the said herbalist.
The family were said to have contacted the herbalist, who denied seeing Liberty ,but promised to do some spiritual incantations so that the missing Liberty would return home alive. Having spent money on the herbalist, and the result was not forthcoming, the family of missing Liberty reported the matter at the Agbor police Area command via a petition on October 14,2025.
According to Delta state police public relations officer (PPRO)SP Bright Edafe,” And this decision proved to be the turning point in the case as the detectives embarked on an intelligence-led investigation. During the course of the investigation, the detectives uncovered the last person who Liberty contacted, and found out that it was the same herbalist, who had earlier denied knowing his whereabouts.
” Surveillance was laid around his shrine at Owa-Alidima , Ika North East LG, for days, until he was arrested on October 23, 2025, in his shrine, while hiding inside a refrigerator.
“Upon arrest of the herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, 20 , he confessed that both he and his brother,Smart Okwuokenye, 26, kidnapped the victim liberty and the motorcycle rider, Isioma Ugbeje, who carried him to the shrine. They further stated that Liberty had been his long-time customer,who frequently visited him to hypnotise clients so that they could give him money easily( in his words, ‘to tie clients ‘). The herbalist said his elder brother approached him that he needed money and advised him to lure any of his clients so they could kidnap him and ask for ransom, and the unlucky person they could lure was Liberty . They kidnapped him and the Okada rider and demanded a ransom of #10,000,000. When they noticed that the plan was not working, they murdered him and the motorcycle rider and dumped their bodies in a soakaway pit by the shrine.
” The suspects are in custody, and the remains of the victims have been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.”
However , commissioner of Police( CP) Olufemi Abaniwonda assures the public that the command would ensure that justice is served in this case.
Meanwhile, Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its relentless fight against the trafficking of illicit arms and ammunition.
Acting on credible intelligence from the Force Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), Abuja, operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), led by ASP Julius Robinson, arrested a female suspects, one Jamila Abubakar, at Conoil Filling Station, Warri–Patani Road, Effurun. Upon her arrest, officers discovered a cash ₦550,000) neatly concealed beneath her bag, suspected to be proceeds from illicit transactions. Her apprehension provided a crucial lead that set off a well-coordinated follow-up operation.
Edafe,said that building on that intelligence, the operatives stormed Niger-Cat area of Warri, where they successfully arrested a notorious arms peddler, one Ahmed Ibrahim (male, 31 , of Ekpan, Uvwie LG , at about 7:25 am, October 22, 2025.
” A search led to the recovery of a bag containing 115 rounds of 7.63mm AK-47 live ammunition,220 rounds of SMG rifle ammunition, 32 live cartridges.
” Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a key supplier of weapons to bandit groups in the North and has long been on the Command’s watch list for his alleged role in several high-profile kidnapping and armed-robbery operations. He is also linked to the kidnap and murder of one Ogheneovo Onemu (female), who was abducted on May 17, 2024, at Ajaokuta Community, Ughelli North LG, and later killed despite the payment of a ₦4,000,000 ransom.
CP Abaniwonda, described the breakthrough as another testament to the Command’s unwavering commitment to stemming the flow of illegal arms, dismantling criminal syndicates, and bringing offenders to justice. He reaffirmed the Command’s determination to identify and neutralise all networks involved in illicit weapons across the State.
The CP also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information to aid the fight against crime. He assured the public that the Command will sustain its momentum against criminal elements and remain resolute in protecting the lives and property of all law-abiding citizens.
