Delta police arrest four murder suspects and recover the skull of the deceased at a shrine
By Onome Naomi
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda addressed the press on Monday, December 23rd, 2024 over an incident he termed painful involving the murder of one Paulinus Okon ‘m’ by his bosom friend One Efe Onoetiyi.
He narrated that Paulinus was reported missing on 8/9/2024 by his brother after he went out with his friend Efe Onoitiyi, ‘m,’ age 30 yrs. The suspect, Efe Onoitiyi, who initially denied knowing what happened to Paulinus, went to Paulinus’s house to ask his family if Paulinus returned home, but he was met with confrontation from the deceased family in accusation that the deceased went out with him as last seen.
On a later date, Efe came back and demanded five hundred thousand Naira (#500,000) from the deceased’s brother, saying he would use the money to pay a herbalist who could tell them Paulinus’ whereabouts. Efe again came and informed the family that Paulinus was kidnapped, and he collected a ransom of about twenty million, seven hundred and fifteen thousand naira (#20,715,000) from the deceased brother, claiming that he was in touch with the kidnappers.
When it became obvious that Efe had something to hide, he was arrested, and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department State Headquarters in Asaba.
On 28th November 2024, the CP said he directed the DPO Ekpan to take over the case and ensure that a discrete investigation is carried out to fish out those responsible, as the main suspect, Efe, was not yielding. The DPO Ekpan carried out an intelligence-led investigation that indicted one Okeimute Gaga ‘m’ aged 48 years old.
Watch video of buried skull:
Okeimute, upon his arrest, opened up and confessed that he can no longer hide what happened. Okeimute Gaga narrated how Efe brought Paulinus to Orere River in Otokutu and requested that they kill him. The suspect further stated that on the 8th of September 2024, he, Efe, and Sunday Ikpeba, and a 30-year-old herbalist known as Lawrence Joseph, tied Paulinus Okon to a stake at night close to Orere River and beheaded him alive. His body was thrown into the river while the herbalist took the head of Paulinus and buried him at his shrine in Otokutu. The DPO Ekpan Police station led police operatives to the shrine in Otokutu where the skull of Paulinus was exhumed and recovered.
During interrogation, Efe was asked why he killed his friend Paulinus. Efe stated that he saw a building for sale at a cost of thirty million naira (#30,000,000), which he advertised to the deceased, and the deceased paid him thirty million naira (#30,000,000) in three installments, but instead of buying the house, he diverted the money for his personal use, bought two lands, and was building a duplex for himself. He further stated that he did not know how to explain to the deceased that he had used his money; hence he decided that killing me would save him the trouble. Efe and the three other suspects are in custody.
