The Imo State police command has arrested Mr. Ibe Obasi, the owner of Our Guest hotel in Umulogho Obowo LGA for alleged murder of his staff.
Mr. Obasi, according to report, lured his staff, Ebuka Nwaneri, to the generator house of the hotel and tortured him to death after accusing him of stealing his guest’s cellphone.
In a release issued on Sunday, the state police said it has arrested the culprit and disclosed the suspect had provided useful information that will assist the men of the command in arresting two other fleeing conspirators at large.
Ebuka Nwaneri, it was gathered, was locked up in the power house of the hotel after being severely beaten by the hotel owner and two others, on Saturday.
The lifeless body of the deceased was carried on a wheelbarrow and displayed round the community by angry youths who threatened to burn down the hotel if the culprit was not arrested.
Part of the police release reads, “Operatives of Obowo Divisional Police Headquarters, have arrested the owner of ‘Our Guest House’, Umulogho, Obowo, Mr. Ibe Obasi, 38yrs, who was allegedly involved in the murder of a 25-year-old Ebuka Udemba, ‘m’, an indigene of Umuokpa in Obowo LGA of Imo State.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was tortured and locked up inside the generator room of the said guest house by the suspect and two others at large, where he suffocated to death, on the accusation of stealing a customer’s handset.
“Accordingly, the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Owerri for consolidation of the ongoing investigation. He has provided useful information that will assist the determined operatives in arresting all the suspects in connection to the case.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has tasked the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCID to carry out a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the remote circumstances surrounding the death of the victim and ensure that all the suspects involved are arrested and made to the full wrath of the law.
“While commiserating with the families, friends, and relatives of the victim, the Commissioner of Police strongly condemns the cruel act and calls on the people of Obowo LGA, particularly the residents of Umulogho to refrain from taking laws into their hands as the Command is on top of the situation and has commenced a thorough investigation to apprehend the suspects linked to the case of murder and bring them brought to book.”
