From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

The police in Delta State said some suspects have been arrested in connection with murder of a kidnapped victim, Philomena Ogadi, whose corpse was buried in a shallow grave in the bush.

Mrs. Ogadi, 54, who hailed from Otolokpo in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state, was abducted last week by a nine-man gang of kidnappers.

Despite allegedly killing her, the hostage takers collected a ransom of N650,000 from her distraught family members.

Addressing journalists after her corpse was exhumed and taken to the morgue, Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ali
said the woman was declared missing by her son, which made operatives to commence investigation.

Related News

He said her body was exhumed after four days of burial, with gunshot injuries on her head, blind folded, assuring that his men would unravel the circumstances behind the murder of the victim and bring all the culprits to book.

“Having killed the woman and buried her in shallow grave, they did not stop there, they went on calling the children and collecting ransom. So far, they have collected N650,000 from her children after killing the woman.

“They made the children to believe that their mother was still alive. They did a video recording of their mother and played before the children, making them to believe that their mother was still alive,” Ali said

According to him, “the apprehended suspects confessed to the crime. One of the suspects said this was his first attempt at kidnapping and robbery.

“The eldest son of the victim said one of the suspects live in the same apartment with his mother before she was kidnapped and murdered.”