23-yr-old Delta polytechnic graduate arrested for kidnapping, murder

A 23- year- old National Diploma (ND) graduate of the Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Obed Ikenna Oluchi yesterday confessed to have been lured into crime because of his desperation for money to repay his creditor.

He said he ventured into crime after he embezzled money meant for online sports betting at the betting house where he worked.

He made this confession yesterday at the Delta State Police Command where he was paraded alongside four others for attempted kidnapping and armed robbery.

According to him, “I work with Bet9ja.I just completed my ND from Delta State Poly Ogwashi-Uku. I studied Office Management and Technology. I was misled by a friend, because I needed money. A policeman came to our betting shop and he played a game worth N30, 000 which I only booked but did not bet because I thought it will not win. But the game won and the policemen wanted to claim his winnings worth over N250, 000. Because I did not bet the coupon I could not give him his winnings. So it was an attempt to find money that lured me into crime. The owner of the betting shop was angry when he found out what happened”.

Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim who briefed reporters said the suspect was a member of a gang that attacked Mr. Amobi Molokwu in front of his gate behind Cornerstone International School ,off Okpanam, but he narrowly escaped .

He said the hoodlums succeeded in robbing him of his RAV 4 Jeep with a number plate ASB 176 AV, his phones and other valuables, adding that “intelligence gathered technologically led to the arrest of Ignatius Obagha in whose possession the victim’s Infinix phone was recovered.”

Ibrahim said Ignatius Obagha following his arrest confessed and mentioned Obed Ikenna Oluchi, Ifeanyi Aniekwe,Ifeanyi Nwosu and Mustapha Ali a.k.a Bababyo as gang members .

Ibrahim said Obed Ikenna Oluchi was also involved in the robbery incident that occurred at Globe Supermarket, Okpanam on 27/7/2017 resulting in the murder of a lawyer Festus Ashiedu.

Obed Ikenna said he did not know he was going to use a gun and that he thought he was only going to help his friend carry the N1.5 million during the robbery at the supermarket.

He denied killing the lawyer, adding that the lawyer was struggling with their gang leader with the keys of his cars and he was shot in the process.

His words: “I was not the one who killed the man, it was the ring leader that killed the lawyer. Someone switched off the ignition of our getaway car so our leader wanted to snatch the car from him and was struggling with our ringleader for the car keys and was shot. Our attempt to rob the supermarket failed as the N1.5 million had already been moved before we got there”.