The Delta State Police Command has arrested a Festus Chuka Chanumuya and his accomplice Evans Odiwe for allegedly killing a businessman, Innocent Nwankwo.
Chanumuya, an electrician and contractor in conduit wiring and fittings from Ukwuani LGA of Delta State but lives at No: 6 Engr. Onyanma Street, Asaba, was murdered Nwankwo in cold blood to cover up for two million naira paid to him for a property which he did not buy.
It was gathered that the deceased paid Chuka the money to buy the property for him in Asaba. The suspect turned around and denied ever getting the money.
Late Nwankwo, who resided in Anambra State called the suspect and informed him that he was coming to Asaba with the deposit slip and evidence of payment.
They agreed to meet on January 7, at Summit Junction. Unknown to the deceased, Chuka allegedly paid Odiwe and some others the sum of N100,000 to kill the businessman upon his arrival.
When Nwankwo arrived Asaba, Chuka lured to a deserted place along Maryam Babangida Way, where the hired gang attacked and murdered him.
The suspect, Chanumuya and his accomplice, Evans Odiwe of 53 Afadia, Umuaji in Asaba were among suspected criminals recently paraded by the new Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Muhammad Mustafa in his maiden press briefing with Journalists in the State.
Briefing newsmen at the Command Headquarters, Mustafa said the suspects were arrested after painstaking efforts by his men.
“Sometime in 2017, one Innocent Nwankwo, male, now deceased of No: 2, Nzemeghebo Crescent, Awada, Anambra State, paid the sum of two million naira (#2,000,000.00) into Diamond Bank Plc. Account No. 0008438004 belonging to one of the suspects, Festus Chanumuya Chuka for a property in Asaba, but Festus Chanumuya Chuka denied receiving the money” the CP disclosed.
“On the 5th January, 2018, the deceased informed the suspect that he would come to Asaba with the deposit slip of the payment. On 6th January, 2018, Festus Chanumuya Chuka hired the second suspect, Evans Odiwe for the sum of one hundred thousand naira (#100,000.00) to kill the deceased on arrival at Asaba”.
“On Sunday, 7th January, 2018, the deceased arrived Summit Junction, Asaba, met Festus Chanumuya Chuka who immediately took him to a pre-arranged lonely place where the deceased was killed by the duo of Festus Chanumuya Chuka and Evans Odiwe and others now at large. The suspects who fled the scene after their dastardly act were later arrested by detectives and they have confessed to the crime”, CP explained emotionally.
Speaking to journalists, Chuka Chanumuya confessed to the crime, blaming it on temptation and the devil.
He confirmed that the deceased indeed paid two million naira into his account for electrical wiring contract, but later demanded same to buy rod first for his building project. He said then he had used the money, which the police confirmed he used to buy a car for himself.
The suspect further confirmed that the deceased who is from Anambra State actually came to Asaba to meet with him on arrangement, and on arrival at Summit he was lured to a site along Maryam Babangida Way where he had arranged some boys to threaten him so he could leave the money issue and run.
“My brother, this is not ordinary, I don’t know what this kind of temptation is. The man was my client, he has been giving me jobs to do for him before. When the boys started beating him, as he was running one of them stabbed him. I didn’t know he would die until the police arrested me and revealed his death to me”, he said.
