By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
A key suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, has revealed the motive behind the crime.
In an exclusive interview at the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) headquarters in Jos, where he is being held, the suspect claimed he orchestrated the kidnapping to solve a personal problem that required N200,000.
The suspect, whose name is withheld, stated that he invited other criminals to assist him but denied instructing them to kill the priest.
Suspect
Stonix News‘ sister media, CrimesChroniclers, early this month, reported that Okechukwu was abducted from his residence in Tachira, Kaura Local Government, Kaduna State, on March 4 and found dead the following day.
The suspect said:
“Fr. Okechukwu lived in our house, and I masterminded his kidnapping because I needed N200,000 for a personal issue.
Suspect
“I invited colleagues from elsewhere, but I didn’t ask them to kill him. I wasn’t with them when it happened, as I had left them with the priest.”
Another suspect, also being held at OPSH, corroborated the account, stating that the chief suspect had asked for his assistance in the crime:
“Although I initially refused, the chief suspect persisted. We grew up in the same community, so I eventually agreed to participate.”
The second suspect further revealed that the chief suspect had contacted other individuals from Bokkos in Plateau, who arrived with guns.
Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu
“After we took the priest and walked for some distance, we left him with the others. We don’t know how or why they allegedly killed him,” he said.
An OPSH official, who chose to remain anonymous, disclosed that the suspects were arrested on Tuesday following a raid on a settlement in Warsa-Piti, Lere.
The official added that investigations are ongoing to locate the remaining individuals involved in the crime.
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