The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the alleged murder of a 56-year-old man, Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, and arrested his friend and two other suspects barely two days after he was reported missing.
The police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the prime suspect, Ifeanyi Nwankwo, 32, allegedly confessed to masterminding the killing after reportedly defrauding the deceased under the pretext of helping him acquire a plot of land.
According to the police, the case began on August 18, 2026, when Madu’s wife reported that her husband had left home on the evening of August 17 and had not returned.
Following the report, police operatives, working with local vigilante members and the victim’s family, launched a search operation to trace his whereabouts, Ikenga said.
He said the wife later returned to the station after her husband’s body was discovered in a bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
“Officers who visited the scene found the deceased lying lifeless with a deep axe wound to the head. His body was evacuated and deposited in a hospital mortuary for preservation,” he said.
During the investigation, police arrested Nwankwo, who was described as a friend of the deceased. He allegedly admitted to plotting the murder and recruiting two other suspects to carry out the attack.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect allegedly collected money from the deceased through a fraudulent land transaction and later orchestrated the killing to conceal the alleged fraud and avoid repaying the money,” Ikenga said.
The PPRO said the State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, had directed investigators to intensify efforts to identify and arrest all those connected to the alleged conspiracy and murder.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and community collaboration to combat violent crime and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
