Men of the Imo State Police command have arrested two persons in connection with the murder of Rev Fr. Jude Egbom of St Patrick’s Catholic parish, Amucha in Njaba Local Government Area of the state.
Also arrested for questioning was the barber, identified as Raphael, where the priest had gone to have a hair cut before he was murdered.
In addition to the alleged killers of the priest, the police also arrested a gang who stole a corpse and demanded N5 million from the bereaved relatives.
The cleric was on Monday night shot dead while his vehicle was stolen along Nkwerre-Anara road. The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command.
Parading the suspects on Thursday, the state commissioner of police, Dasuki Galadanchi, said that the suspects were nabbed in Nkwerre on September 11. He named them as Chigozie Uzoukwu, 33, and Peter Ochokwu, 21.
He said that the command also recovered the priest’s vehicle and traveling bag.
Galadanchi said one of the suspects, Ochokwu, was an ex-convict who had spent one year in Owerri prison for alleged involvement in an armed robbery case.
The CP said “on September 11 at Owerri Nkwoji in Nkwerre LGA, Imo state ,F-SARS operatives led by CSP Godfrey Victor on a tip-off intelligence arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of Rev Fr Jude Egbom.”
“A black Toyota Corolla with registration No FKJ 984 EV suspected to belong to the hoodlums who robbed and murdered the Reverend Father was recovered.”
“Interestingly, one leg of his shoe was found in the abandoned car of the Rev. Fr. while the second leg was recovered from the suspects.
He disclosed that the gang, which stole the corpse, was made up of Kelechi Nnajiuba, 24, Ifeanyi Chukwukere, 28, and Ekene Ohaeri, 27.
He said the members of the gang already had some of their mates in police custody for kidnapping a staff of National Population Commission.
He said that the gang who collected N5m ransom, shot the victim’s police orderly, collected his AK47 rifle which they had been using for their nefarious activities.
