POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN KILLING OF BAYELSA ESTATE AGENT

The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested the alleged killer of Mr. Richard Ekpebu, a 42-year-old estate agent, who was abducted and murdered on July 24, with his body later found in a bush along the new Otuoke road.

The suspect, identified as George Idumangi from Ogbia Local Government Area, was arrested in Lagos while attempting to procure an international passport. Police said his arrest followed days of tracking by operatives of Operation Puff Adder, who trailed him across several parts of Lagos before eventually catching up with him.

Investigations revealed that Idumangi, working with his girlfriend, Miss Victory Benard Henry, allegedly set up a fake land deal that led to the death of the estate agent. Ekpebu had been invited into the transaction under the pretense of brokering a land sale.

The buyer reportedly paid nine million naira directly into Idumangi’s account, while Victory allegedly received one million naira as her share.

Trouble started when the buyer demanded the land documents. Ekpebu, who had been left out of the deal, denied knowledge of the papers and confronted Idumangi for lying against him.

The suspect, alongside one Victor Shadrack, popularly known as Doggy and another accomplice identified as Insurance, allegedly lured Ekpebu out of his house, abducted him, and killed him to cover up their false claim that the agent had absconded with the land documents.

Earlier in the investigation, police arrested Victory in Yenagoa, where they recovered one pump-action rifle, five live cartridges, two empty AK-47 magazines, 10 walkie-talkies, 10 chargers, and three AK-47 rifle slings from her.

Confirming the arrest, Mr. Francis Idu, Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police said the breakthrough came through painstaking intelligence work. He expressed gratitude to the people of Bayelsa and the Prosperity Government for their support.

Reported by Bright Okpo