In a shocking confession, the prime suspect in the abduction and killing of Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu has admitted to orchestrating the crime, claiming he needed N200,000 to solve a personal problem.
Speaking from the custody of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in Jos, where he is being held, the suspect revealed that he invited a group of criminals to carry out the kidnapping but denied instructing them to kill the priest.
“Fr. Okechukwu was living in our house at Tachira, and I planned his kidnap because I needed N200,000. I brought in some guys from other places to assist me, but I didn’t tell them to kill him. I don’t know why they did it,” he stated.
Fr. Okechukwu, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, was abducted on March 4 at his residence in Tachira, Kaura Local Government Area. His lifeless body was discovered the following day.
Another suspect, also in custody, admitted to being recruited for the crime but claimed he was unaware of the murder plot.
“At first, I refused, but he insisted. We grew up in the same community, so I eventually agreed. I traveled from Warsa-Piti in Lere LGA to join in the kidnapping. The chief suspect also invited others from Bokkos in Plateau, who came armed. After abducting the priest, we left him with them and don’t know what happened next,” he said.
Authorities at OPSH confirmed that the suspects were apprehended on Tuesday following a raid on a settlement in Warsa-Piti, Lere LGA. Investigations are ongoing to track down other accomplices still at large.
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