The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, and his 26-year-old brother, Smart Okwuokenye, for allegedly kidnapping and killing two men in Owa-Alidima, Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, saying the victims’ remains had been recovered and deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.
According to Edafe, the case began on September 30, 2025, when one of the victims, 22-year-old Friday Liberty, visited the herbalist but never returned home.
“It was a case of the hunter becoming the hunted. On the 30th of September, 2025, Mr. Friday Liberty, aged 22, visited his herbalist, whom he had known for some time, but this time, he never returned,” Edafe said.
Family Raises Alarm Over Missing Relative
Liberty’s family became alarmed after days passed without hearing from him. His girlfriend reportedly told the family that she overheard a conversation suggesting he had gone to see a herbalist.
“The girlfriend of the deceased informed the family that she heard a conversation about the said Friday Liberty and a certain herbalist and advised that they should reach out to him,” Edafe added.
When contacted, the herbalist denied seeing Liberty but promised to perform “spiritual incantations” to bring him back. The family, after paying him for the rituals and seeing no results, petitioned the Agbor Area Command on October 14, 2025.
Police Investigation and Arrest
Following the petition, detectives launched an intelligence-led investigation, which identified the herbalist as the last person seen with the missing victim.
“Surveillance was laid around his shrine at Owa-Alidima in Ika North East LGA for days until he was arrested on 23rd October 2025 while hiding inside a refrigerator,” Edafe said.
During interrogation, Amechi allegedly confessed that he and his brother, Smart, had kidnapped both Friday Liberty and a motorcycle rider identified as Isioma Ugbeje, who had conveyed Liberty to the shrine.
“The herbalist confessed that his brother approached him for money and suggested they kidnap one of his clients. Liberty was the unlucky target,” the police spokesperson stated.
Victims Murdered, Bodies Dumped in Soakaway
The suspects reportedly demanded a ransom of ₦10 million from the victims’ families. When the ransom failed to materialise, they allegedly killed both men and dumped their bodies in a soakaway pit near the shrine.
“They kidnapped him and the Okada rider and demanded a ransom of ₦10 million. When the plan failed, they murdered both and dumped their bodies in a soakaway pit,” Edafe said.
Police Vow to Ensure Justice
The police confirmed that the suspects are in custody and that the victims’ remains have been evacuated for autopsy.
“Suspects are in custody, and the remains of the victims have been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy,” Edafe stated.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, condemned the crime and assured the public that justice would be served.
“The Command will ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for this heinous act,” the commissioner said.