Reasons for kidnapping and killing a priest of the Catholic Voices of Kafachan in Kaduna State, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Ikechukwu have been provided by a chief suspect (names withheld).
Real news gathered that the suspect, in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Headquarters of operation safe Haven (OPSH) in Jos where he is currently detained, said he needed N200,000 to solve a personal problem.
The chief suspect is assisting detectives to unravel the cause of the incident and how to apprehend other suspects currently on the run.
It was reported that Okechukwu, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Kafachan, Kaduna State, was abducted on March 4, at about 9:15 p.m. at his residence in Tachira, Kaura Local Government of the state. and was later found dead on March 5.
Suspects Reveal Shocking Details on Priest’s Kidnap and Murder in Kaduna
The prime suspect, who stated that he invited other criminals from elsewhere to accomplish the assignment, denied asking his colleagues to kill the priest.
Fr Okechukwu is living in our house at Tachira and I masterminded his kidnap because I needed N200,000 to solve a personal problem,
“I invited some guys (colleagues) from other places to assist me to accomplish the mission but I didn’t ask them to kill him.
“I don’t know why they (allegedly) killed him; I was not with them because I later left them with the priest,”he said.
According to another suspect, names withheld, who is also being held at OPSH, said that the chief suspect had called him to assist him to actualise the crime.
“At first, I refused to be part of the deal, but the chief suspect insisted. The chief suspect and I grew up in the same community.
“So, on the said date I left my place in Warsa-Piti in Lere LG and participated in the kidnap of the priest.
“He actually contacted other guys from Bokkos in Plateau who came with guns; after we took the priest and walked for some distance, we left him with them.
“So, we can’t say how and why they allegedly killed the priest,” he said.
An official of the OPSH, who preferred anonymity, said that the suspects were arrested on Tuesday, following a raid troops conducted in a settlement at Warsa-Piti community of Lere.
However, the official disclosed that investigations were ongoing to unravel the whereabout of the remaining persons who allegedly participated in the heinous crime.
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