Police in Benue arrest four over murder of retired judge

Police in Benue paraded four suspected killers of former President of Benue Customary Court of Appeal, retired Justice Margaret Igbetar, before newsmen on Tuesday in Makurdi.

Commissioner of Police in the state,  Bartholomew Onyeka, told newsmen that the suspects confessed that they killed the jurist over family inheritance.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the decomposing body of retired Justice Igbetar was found with deep cuts on her back inside her kitchen on August 24.

Onyeka said following her gruesome murder, police arrested one Joseph Aondohemba, her nephew.

“The suspect confessed to have planned and recruited other people to help him to kill his aunty and led a team of detectives to Adikpo in Kwande Local Government Area where two others were arrested.

“The two arrested at Adikpo were Igbazenda Gbidye (63) and Dzungwenen Ukor (40).

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“These suspects admitted that Aondohemba reported to them that his father died and left a lot of property in the hands of his aunty (the deceased) and she had refused to hand the said property over to him.

“They agreed to join him in eliminating her so he could have access to his property.

“One Akuhwa Barnabas (32), driver to the deceased, corroborated their statements and admitted that he gave the gang access to the house and manned the gate until they finished the assassination process.’’ Onyeka said.

The police commissioner added that the four suspects would be arraigned after the completion of investigation.

Onyeka also told newsmen that between July and September, police in Benue arrested 85 persons in connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide, cultism, rape and unlawful possession of firearms.

The police recovered 12 locally-made pistols, four AK47 rifles, four single and double barrel guns, 160 ammunition and four cartridges, during the period, he said.

Onyeka assured that police would soon secure the release of Benue Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mathew Abo, who was kidnapped recently.