A 20 year old Covenant University student, John Chinedu Okere, who was studying Electrical Engineering at the 300 level was reportedly abducted on August 6, 2014.
Chinedu reportedly left his father’s house to attend a medical clinic in Yaba with N6,000 on his person but never returned alive.
Chinedu’s father, Jude Okere reportedly got a phone message later that day notifying him that his son had been kidnapped. He later received a phone call demanding a N10 million ransom.
Chinedu’s father said: “ At about mid-day, I received an SMS that John had been kidnapped. Later, I received a phone call from a hidden number. The
caller said they had my son, Chinedu and demanded N10 million as ransom threatening to kill him if we refuse to comply. Immediately, I inquired who the caller was, the line went dead. My wife and I quickly reported the case to the Divisional Police Station at Sabo, Yaba.”
The case was filed at Yaba and then transferred to SARS Ikeja for further investigation.
A lead in the case was made when a staff of ‘DE HOMES hotel’ in Ejigbo discovered the body of Chinedu decomposing in one of the rooms two days later.
The hotel manager reported the incident to Ejigbo Police station to report the murder case and an investigation began.
A source told Vanguard Crime Guard, early on Wednesday morning (day Chinedu went missing), the prime suspect, Okorocha Michael along with another young man simply identified as Okey,checked into the hotel with the name Christian. “He booked the room for three days with the name Christian. He claimed he is a youth corps member who wanted to write exams and would be there from that Wednesday to Friday. He also said he was expecting his cousin to join him in the hotel.
‘After booking, Michael left his friend Okey in the hotel and returned an hour before the victim, Chinedu arrived the hotel, which was at about 3pm that day. As soon as Chinedu arrived the hotel, Michael took him to the room. We don’t know what happened inside the room. However, it was later gathered that during their stay in the room, the suspect reportedly confronted the victim on some personal issues. The confrontation eventually led to a heated argument, which later led to the suspect strangulating the victim to death. On Friday, a hotel staff discovered the lifeless body of the young man and alerted the police.”
According to reports, Chinedu was murdered and left in the pool of his blood by unfriendly friends, who brutally killed and abandoned his corpse, went ahead and demanded for ransom from his parents.
Crime Guard learnt the 24-year-old suspect, Okorocha Michael, who was arrested on Sunday, in a friend’s house around Ajah area in Lagos, is a graduate of Lagos City Polytechnic, Ikeja. He has been unemployed since he completed his youth service in February this year.
A family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity revealed that the Okere’s were willing to pay the ransom, and were still trying to get it when his corpse was discovered. ‘We sincerely pray that law takes it full course, his killers brought to book and Chinedu will get the justice he deserves even in death,’ the source stated.
