A key suspect in the abduction and murder of Reverend Father Sylvester Okechukwu has confessed to masterminding the crime, citing financial desperation as his motive. The suspect, currently in custody at the headquarters of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in Jos, revealed that he needed N200,000 to solve a personal problem.
According to the suspect, he invited criminals from outside the community to carry out the abduction but denied instructing them to kill the priest. “Fr. Okechukwu was living in our house at Tachira. I masterminded his kidnap because I needed money. I invited some guys from other places to assist me, but I didn’t ask them to kill him. I don’t know why they did,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Another suspect, also in custody, confirmed that he was recruited for the crime but claimed he did not participate in the killing. The suspects’ confessions have sparked outrage and mourning in the Tachira community, where Fr. Okechukwu was well respected.
Security operatives have assured the public that efforts are ongoing to bring all those responsible to justice. The killing of Fr. Okechukwu has raised concerns about the safety of clergy members in Kaduna State, with several incidents of kidnapping and killing reported in recent months.
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