By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the murder of a 56-year-old man, Mr Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, barely two days after he was reported missing.
Police said the prime suspect, Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, 32, a friend of the deceased, allegedly confessed to plotting the murder and hiring two other persons to carry out the killing.
The police, in a statement by the Command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said Madu’s wife had reported him missing on August 18, 2026, after he left home on the evening of August 17 and failed to return.
Following the report, police operatives, working with members of the local vigilante group and the deceased’s family, commenced a search and investigation to establish his whereabouts.
However, later that evening, the distressed wife returned to the police station with the grim news that her husband had been found dead in a nearby bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
Ikenga said the Police operatives immediately mobilised to the scene and found Madu lying lifeless with what the Command described as a deep axe wound to his head.
” His remains were evacuated and deposited in a hospital mortuary for preservation”, the PPRO said.
As the investigation progressed, police arrested Nwankwo, a friend of the deceased, who allegedly confessed to his involvement in the planning and execution of the murder.
Preliminary investigation, according to the police, showed that Nwankwo had allegedly obtained money from Madu fraudulently under the guise of helping him acquire a piece of land.
The suspect allegedly resorted to murder in an attempt to conceal the transaction and suppress the money he had obtained from the deceased.
Police said he subsequently allegedly engaged two other persons to kill Madu.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, directed that the investigation be intensified to identify and arrest all those involved in the alleged conspiracy and murder.
The Command said it was determined to ensure that everyone connected with the crime was brought to justice.
The police also assured residents of Anambra that the Command would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes, unravel criminal activities and ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
