Facebook Murder: Three Brothers Held over Kidnap, Killing of Mother of 5 in Abuja – Police Exhume Victim’s Remains for Forensic Examination

Malik Yahya/

Detectives investigating the May 14 kidnap and murder of a mother of five, in Abuja, have held three brothers over the crime.

Mrs Janet Nnenna Ogbonnaya was lured by a friend on Facebook who allegedly murdered her, stole her Toyota Highlander jeep, buried her in a septic tank and went on to demand N5million ransom from her family members who were contacted with the phone of the slain woman.

The brothers were today paraded and identified by the police as 38-year-old Johnson Emmanuel, Gideon Emmanuel, 31, and Success Emmanuel, 27.

Police authorities told NewsmakersNG that officers attached to the Intelligence Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force arrested the suspects who are from same parents. They are natives of Isiekenesi, Ideato LGA of Imo State.

The arrest was made in their hometown where they had taken refuge after committing the crime in Abuja. 

A statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, says: “Investigations that led to the arrest of the suspects is sequel to complaints received from one Chinedu Ogbonnaya who alleged that his mother, Mrs Janet Nnenna Ogbonnaya, 55yrs, native of Ozuitem in Bende LGA of Abia State had been kidnapped and a 5-Million naira ransom demanded before she could be released. A comprehensive and painstaking investigation by the police operatives resulted in the arrest of the three (3) suspects, whom, in the course of interrogation, revealed that the victim had long been murdered and buried. Further findings revealed that the victim, a widow, who had been a Facebook friend of the principal suspect – Johnson Emmanuel, was lured from her home in Gwagwalada to visit the suspect. The suspect thereafter took advantage of the visit, served her yoghurt laced with drugs and subsequently had her murdered. The suspect having killed the victim and buried her remains in a septic tank, went ahead to reach out to the family of the victim using her phone and demanded 5-Million naira ransom as pre-condition for her release.   ​

“Meanwhile, today 4^th June, 2020, the suspects led a team of investigators alongside pathologists to a residence at Wumba District, Lokogoma, Abuja where the victim’s decomposing body was exhumed from a septic tank. The exhumed body has been taken to the University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja for forensic examination. 

“A Toyota Highlander Jeep belonging to the deceased has also been recovered by Police operatives at a mechanic workshop in Apo where it had been repainted into a different colour, vehicle documents fraudulently changed and ownership of the stolen vehicle criminally transferred to one of the masterminds of the crime – Johnson Emmanuel. 

“Investigations also revealed that the house where the deceased was killed and buried originally belonged to one of the suspects but was hurriedly sold-off to a third party apparently to obliterate evidence.   

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, while commending the operatives for a job well done, reassures that perpetrators of any form of crimes in the country will not go undetected and unpunished. He, however, enjoins citizens to be more security conscious and report any suspicious activities within their neighbourhood to the nearest police station.” 

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