THISDAYonline

Barely 72 hours after the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) Chieftain, Chief Marshall Harry's alleged killers were arrested, the Police announced that it had also arrested the alleged killers of the Imo State ANPP Orlu senatorial district candidate, Chief Ogbonnaya Uche.

The police said contrary to widely held believe that the ANPP chieftain was killed by hired assassins, he (Ogbonnaya) was killed by a three man armed robbery gang.

Among those paraded at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos was a top government official in Imo State Messrs Boniface Nwachukwu, Vincent Ogueri, a.k.a. Pastor, Tajudeen, a.k.a. Johnson the Lion (armourer) and Okey, who is said to be at large.

Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Mr. Emmanuel Adebayo, who led the team of crack detectives that unmasked the suspects, said they were apprehended following a tip-off.

Adebayo said on February 23, detectives, acting on a tip-off arrested Vincent Ogueri with a Mercedes Benz "V" Boot 230 Saloon Car with registration No AG 684 AGU at Owerri. Under interrogation, Ogueri confessed and implicated Nwachukwu. He said when the Imo State official was arrested, he confessed to being a party to the dastardly act.

Narrating how Ogbonnaya was murdered, the police boss said: "On Saturday 8th February, 2003 at about 1900hrs (7.00 pm), Chief Ogbonnaya Uche a.k.a. OGB, who was ANPP Senatorial Aspirant in Orlu Senatorial District, Imo State returned from an outing to his house at No. B 113 Government Quarters, Shell Camp, Owerri with his vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser jeep with Reg. No. AG 149 BWR. In the vehicle were with him his driver, Joshiah Nwankwo and his friend, Emmanuel Assia but they left immediately, leaving behind OGB, his steward, John Robson, and a gateman.

"About ten minutes later, a gang of three armed men, led by Vincent Ogueri drove into the compound in a Mercedes Benz "V" Boot with Reg. No. AA 648 AGU. At gun point Robson and the gateman were held hostage and was ordered to produce the key to the jeep. He led them to OGB's living room to produce the ignition key," he said.