Outrage as Slain Lucky Amauche’s Killers Remain at Large Five Months After Murder, Family Accuses Delta Police of Neglect, Extortion

Outrage as Slain Lucky Amauche’s Killers Remain at Large Five Months After Murder, Family Accuses Delta Police of Neglect, Extortion

By Naomi Onome

Nearly five months after a young Nigerian, Lucky Amauche Ezeji, was brutally murdered in Kwale, Delta State, his family says justice remains elusive as no meaningful arrests or thorough investigation have been carried out by the police.

The late Ezeji, an Accountancy graduate of Delta State Polytechnic and reportedly over 30 years old, was shot dead on Christmas Day at about 8 p.m. while visiting his grandmother alongside his pregnant wife for the yuletide celebration. According to reports, he had briefly stepped out to retrieve his phone charger from his nearby residence when gunmen allegedly trailed and attacked him.

Preliminary findings suggested that suspected cultists may have mistaken him for a rival gang member amid an ongoing clash between members of the Eiye and Black Axe confraternities in the area. However, there has been no evidence linking the deceased to cult activities.

The family expressed frustration over what they described as the Delta State Police Command’s lack of commitment to the investigation. They alleged that despite providing intelligence and multiple leads to investigators, little or no action has been taken to apprehend those responsible for the killing.

According to the family, officers attached to the Kwale Division and the State Command in Asaba allegedly demanded money at different stages of the investigation while failing to carry out promised actions. They further claimed that investigators requested ₦50,000 per phone number to track contacts extracted from the deceased’s call logs — a cost the grieving family could not afford.

The family also accused the Investigating Police Officer, identified as Udofia Kufure, of allegedly collecting ₦100,000 from them for arrest operations after receiving information suggesting that an argument may have preceded the killing, yet no arrest was made.

Dissatisfied with the handling of the case in kwale by the IPO Udofia Kufure who allegedly had collected N100,000 to commence investigation and demanded another N250,000 for call log, the family reportedly reported to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Muyiwa Adejobi, who was said to have intervened by transferring aspects of the matter back to the State Command following complaints of negligence and inaction.

They further alleged that despite identifying a hotel connected to the incident and informing operatives of the Homicide Department of the command as directed by DC Muyiwa Adejobi, no officer has visited the scene to obtain CCTV footage that could aid investigations.

Several efforts to reach DC Muyiwa Adejobi to give reports as per his directives which was stalled by the homicide department of the command proved abortive. He was simply unreachable, all calls and messages were left unanswered. The head of the homicide department as well didn’t act according to the information given by the family which could help apprehend the perpetrators. There was poor supervision from the head of the homicide department to his subordinates leading to a stalled investigation or no investigation at all.

The bereaved family said several other useful pieces of information pointing to possible suspects have allegedly been ignored by investigators, raising concerns over what they described as deliberate efforts to frustrate the case.

As preparations intensify to bury the deceased this weekend in his hometown in Imo State, relatives say they are devastated that his killers may never be brought to justice. The slain graduate reportedly left behind a pregnant wife and was expecting his first child before his life was cut short.

Their fear is that his burial will feel like a victory lap for armed groups in Kwale and beyond—proof that parts of Delta operate outside the law, where security is bought, not guaranteed.

The incident has also sparked broader concerns among residents over insecurity in Kwale and other parts of Delta State, with many questioning the commitment of law enforcement authorities to protecting lives and ensuring justice for victims of violent crimes.

The question hanging over the Delta State Police Command is simple: Is the Nigeria Police in Delta running a “cash and carry” system, where protection goes to the highest bidder?