Troops from the special military task force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), have apprehended two individuals suspected of involvement in the murder of Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu.
The arrest was announced in a statement released on Wednesday by OPSH media officer, Major Samson Zhakom, in Jos.
Rev. Fr. Okechukwu, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, was abducted from his residence in Tachira, Kaura Local Government Area, on March 4 at approximately 9:15 p.m. He was subsequently found dead on March 5.
Major Zhakom detailed the arrests, stating, “The suspects were arrested on Tuesday following a raid on the prime suspect’s hideout located at a Ruga settlement in Warsa-Piti community, following a raid by troops in a settlement at the Lere LGA of Kaduna State.”
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He further explained the initial findings of the investigation. “During preliminary investigation, the prime suspect, a 33-year-old man, confessed to having been contracted by another man, living in the same house as the slain priest, to kidnap him.”
The statement also noted a subsequent arrest. “Troops in a follow-up operation arrested the suspect at Agwan Sarki, Tachira in Kaura LGA. The suspects are in custody undergoing further interrogation,” Zhakom said.
The OPSH media officer confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. “Investigations were still ongoing to unravel the whereabouts of the remaining persons who participated in the heinous crime.”
