By Jethro Ibileke
Three suspects have been arrested for the kidnap and murder of Faith Omodon, who was declared missing a few weeks ago.
The 200-Level student of Delta State University, Agbor, had gone to the farm in Ewohon/Uwemen communities in Edo State with a Lifan CG 125 motorcycle, on 1 April 2024, but never returned.
Following a report at the Abudu police division by her father, Edward Omodon, she was declared missing by the police.
The suspects were paraded with 11 other suspects on Wednesday by the State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye.
According to the CP, “After a preliminary investigation was conducted by the Abudu Division, the case was transferred to State CID, Benin.
“The State CID operatives while collaborating with the Vigilantes group, arrested two suspects, Godspower Chukwuedo, 23 years, and Christopher Nwachukwu, 22 years.
“The suspects made statements to the Police and confessed that they were sent by one Chukwuyem Jonah, 26 years a native doctor who lives in the Iru community, near Abudu, Edo State to go after Faith Omodon on the farm and kidnap her to enable them to collect ransom from her rich father, with the promise of paying them #30,000.00.
“The suspects further confessed that they were resisted by Faith Omodon and in the process, they strangulated her to death.”
According to the CP, the confessional statements of the two suspects led to the arrest of the native doctor at Iru community, on 7 May 2024.
“In an interview with journalists, the duo of Godspower Chukwuedo and Christopher Nwachukwu confessed to their crime and also corroborated the story as narrated by CP Adegboye.
“The duo who said they didn’t know the girl before, disclosed that the native doctor took them to the farm and also told them that she would come home during the Easter period.
Christopher Nwachukwu who claimed to be a farmer and based in Agbor, disclosed that he was contracted by Godspower Chukwuedo, a bricklayer based in Benin City for the job.
On his part, Godspower Chukwuedo confessed that after strangling their victim, they left her unconscious with the native doctor in the farm, but made away with her mobile phone and the motorcycle.
“The ‘native doctor’, Chukwuyem Jonah, however, denied knowing the other suspects, let alone having anything to do with the attempted kidnap and murder of Faith Omodon.
Father of the deceased, Edward Omodon, who described the incident as unfortunate said, he knew the native doctor very well, as they lived together in the same locality.
“I know Jonah Chukwuuem very well, we stayed together. I see him every day.
“I want justice. I want them to pay for the killing of my daughter. I don’t want my daughter to die like that without any action from the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, CP Adegboye has cautioned parents to always be weary of where they will send their wards and children.
Adegboye also appealed to residents of Edo to always support the police operatives with credible and reliable information to enable them to track down criminal elements in the state.