A Labour Party (LP) House of Assembly aspirant, Leonard Kelechi Nwali, has been arrested alongside three others over the killing of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent in Ebonyi State.
The victim, Peter Nweke, was a PDP Ward Chairman working as the party’s agent during the March 18 gubernatorial election in the state when he was beaten to death in Umuezeokaoha community in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state.
Nweke was initially believed to have been tortured to death by hoodlums working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ebonyi, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya confirmed the arrest of the suspects on Friday.
He said that Nwali has confessed to the crime.
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“On the 18th of March. 2023, during the Gubernatorial/State House of Assembly Elections, one Peter Nweke, ‘m’, the PDP Ward Chairman at Ezza North was killed by unknown gunmen. Sequel to the dastardly act, the Commissioner of Police, CP Faleye S. Olaleye, psc, tasked all Police Officers in the Command to fish out all those responsible for the killing. Consequently, on the 28/03/2023 four suspects were arrested in connection with the death of Mr Peter Nweke.
“During interrogation of the suspects, the first suspect one Leonard Kelechi Nwali ‘m’, a Labour Party House of Assembly aspirant, Ezza North Constituency, confessed to hiring the assailants who were meant to torture the late Peter Nweke. However, he died in the process. According to him, the late Peter Nweke posed a threat to his political ambition, so he contacted one Akwasi ‘m’ of Umuezeoka, in Ezza North L.G.A who spear-headed the torture that eventually resulted to the death of Mr. Peter Nweke ‘m’.
“The second suspect, Onyebuchi Chita ‘m’ of Nkomoro community, in the same local government area confessed to have brought in the killers from Nkomoro into Ogboji community, where Peter Nweke was killed.
“The third suspect Aloke Obinna ‘m’ of Ogboji community confessed to have given his motorcycle to one Onyebuchi Chita for escape after the incident.
“While Ifeanyi Nwokpuku ‘m’, the fourth suspect, of Ogboji community in Ezza North LGA conspired with one Sampson Nweke ‘m’, who pointed Peter Nweke out to the killers,” Onovwakpoyeya’s statement read in part.
The police spokesman added that the state police commissioner has assured members of the public that all the suspects arrested would be arraigned in court at the end of investigation while those on the run would be fished out and made to face justice.
“He also reiterated the command’s continuous commitment to safeguarding lives and properties of the good people of Ebonyi State and strongly sent out a warning to all criminals that there is no safe haven in Ebonyi State for them,” the statement further read.