How retired Benue judge was killed by nephew, driver, others – Police

The Police in Benue State on Tuesday paraded four suspects in connection with the murder of a retired President of the Benue State Customary Court of Appeal, Mrs Margaret Igbetar.

Igbeta, 72, was murdered in her residence on Wantor Kwange Street in Makurdi metropolis of the state on August 24.

The state Commissioner of Police, Bathelomew Onyeka, on Tuesday paraded the alleged culprits behind the murder of the judge.

Onyeka while parading the suspects before journalists in Makurdi, recalled that on August 24, 2023, a case of culpable homicide involving the late Justice Igbetar (rtd) was reported to the command.

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He said that one Aondohemba Joseph, a nephew of the deceased was arrested immediately after the report was made, adding that a more detailed and advance investigation started when the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and handed over to the Operation Zenda investigative team to continue.

“The suspect who eventually confessed to have planned and recruited other people to help him in killing his aunty led a team of detectives to Adikpo, Kwande Local Government Area of the state where the following suspects were arrested; Igbazenda Gbidye 63 years old and Dzungwenen Ukor 40 years old.

“These suspects admitted that, Aondohemba Joseph had reported to them that his father died and left so much property in the hands of his aunty (the deceased) and she had refused to hand the said property over to him. They agreed to join him in eliminating her so that he can have access to his property.

“One Akuhwa Barnabas 32 years old, a driver to the deceased who was also arrested, corroborated their statements by admitting that he was the one who allowed the gang access to the house and manned the gate for them until they finished the assassination process,” the police commissioner said.

Meanwhile, the suspects in an interview with journalists confessed to their various involvement in the killing of the justice Igbetar.