How Covenant Varsity student, 20, was kidnapped, murdered in Lagos

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap and murder of a 20-year-old undergraduate, identified as John Chinedu Okere, who until his death was a 300 level Electrical Engineering student at Covenant University, Otta in Ogun State.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, Chinedu left his parent’s house in the morning of Wednesday, August 6, 2014, to a Hospital in Yaba, Lagos for medical reasons and never returned. He reportedly left home with about N6000 and that was the last time he was seen alive.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The mysterious disappearance of Chinedu, caused a stir as the parents ran helter-skelter, in search of him to no avail.  They  gathered from some family members that one of his friends called on phone earlier that morning to tell him to meet him at an undisclosed hotel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">KIDNAP</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crime Guard</span>  learnt that at about mid-day,the victim’s father, Jude Okere, received an SMS notifying him that Chinedu had been kidnapped. Later, he received a phone call from a hidden number demanding N10 million ransom for the release of his son. The caller allegedly threatened to kill the victim if the parents refused to comply as the line went dead.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FATHER’S TESTIMONY</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_460817" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 239px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/covenant-varsity-student-20-kidnapped-murdered-lagos/john-chinedu-okere/" rel="attachment wp-att-460817" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="John Chinedu Okere" class="size-full wp-image-460817" height="311" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Chinedu-Okere.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="229" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">John Chinedu Okere</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chinedu’s  father said: “ At about mid-day, I received an SMS that John had been kidnapped. Later, I received a phone call from a hidden number. The</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">caller said they had my son, Chinedu and demanded N10 million as ransom threatening to kill him if we refuse to comply. Immediately, I inquired who the caller was, the line went dead. My wife and I quickly reported the case to the Divisional Police Station at Sabo, Yaba.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After the case was reported to the Police at Sabo, Yaba, it was later transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja the next day where investigations commenced.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DEAD BODY IN A HOTEL ROOM</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was learnt that initially when the whole issue started, the family of the victim felt it was a kidnap that would just be resolved but unfortunately, as events continued to unfold, it turned out to be a premeditated murder. Shockingly, the decomposing corpse of Chinedu was discovered in one of the rooms at ‘DE Homes Hotel’ located in Ejigbo by one of their staff, two days later.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, the Manager of the hotel went to Ejigbo Divisional Police Station on Friday, 8, 2014, to report the case of murder and investigation began.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HOW SUSPECTS CHECKED INTO HOTEL</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A reliable source in the hotel intimated that early on Wednesday morning, the prime suspect, Okorocha Michael along with another young man simply identified as Okey,checked into the hotel with the name Christian. “He booked the room for three days with the name Christian. He claimed he is a youth corps member who wanted to write exams and would be there from that Wednesday to Friday. He also said he was expecting his cousin to join him in the hotel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">‘After booking, Michael left his friend Okey in the hotel and returned an hour before the victim, Chinedu arrived the hotel, which was at about 3pm that day. As soon as Chinedu arrived the hotel, Michael took him to the room. We don’t know what happened inside the room. However, it was later gathered that during their stay in the room, the suspect reportedly confronted the victim on some personal issues. The confrontation eventually led to a heated argument, which later led to the suspect strangulating the victim to death.  On Friday, a hotel staff discovered the lifeless body of the young man and alerted the police.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ABANDONED IN A POOL OF BLOOD</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, Chinedu was murdered and left in the pool of his blood by unfriendly friends, who brutally killed and abandoned his corpse, went ahead and demanded for ransom from his parents.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ARREST OF SUSEPCTS</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crime Guard</span> learnt the 24-year-old suspect, Okorocha Michael, who was arrested on Sunday, in a friend’s house around Ajah area in Lagos, is a graduate of Lagos City Polytechnic, Ikeja. He has been unemployed since he completed his youth service in February this year.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">APPEAL FOR JUSTICE</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity revealed that the Okere’s were willing to pay the ransom, and were still trying to get it when his corpse was discovered. ‘We sincerely pray that law takes it full course, his killers brought to book and Chinedu will get the justice he deserves even in death,’ the source stated.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/covenant-varsity-student-20-kidnapped-murdered-lagos/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_strip_container NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <br /></div>

How Covenant Varsity student, 20, was kidnapped, murdered in Lagos

Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap and murder of a 20-year-old undergraduate, ...

Read more »

How Covenant Varsity student, 20, was kidnapped, murdered in Lagos

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap and murder of a 20-year-old undergraduate, identified as John Chinedu Okere, who until his death was a 300 level Electrical Engineering student at Covenant University, Otta in Ogun State.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, Chinedu left his parent’s house in the morning of Wednesday, August 6, 2014, to a Hospital in Yaba, Lagos for medical reasons and never returned. He reportedly left home with about N6000 and that was the last time he was seen alive.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The mysterious disappearance of Chinedu, caused a stir as the parents ran helter-skelter, in search of him to no avail.  They  gathered from some family members that one of his friends called on phone earlier that morning to tell him to meet him at an undisclosed hotel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">KIDNAP</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crime Guard</span>  learnt that at about mid-day,the victim’s father, Jude Okere, received an SMS notifying him that Chinedu had been kidnapped. Later, he received a phone call from a hidden number demanding N10 million ransom for the release of his son. The caller allegedly threatened to kill the victim if the parents refused to comply as the line went dead.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FATHER’S TESTIMONY</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_460817" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 239px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/covenant-varsity-student-20-kidnapped-murdered-lagos/john-chinedu-okere/" rel="attachment wp-att-460817" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="John Chinedu Okere" class="size-full wp-image-460817" height="311" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Chinedu-Okere.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="229" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">John Chinedu Okere</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chinedu’s  father said: “ At about mid-day, I received an SMS that John had been kidnapped. Later, I received a phone call from a hidden number. The</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">caller said they had my son, Chinedu and demanded N10 million as ransom threatening to kill him if we refuse to comply. Immediately, I inquired who the caller was, the line went dead. My wife and I quickly reported the case to the Divisional Police Station at Sabo, Yaba.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After the case was reported to the Police at Sabo, Yaba, it was later transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja the next day where investigations commenced.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DEAD BODY IN A HOTEL ROOM</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was learnt that initially when the whole issue started, the family of the victim felt it was a kidnap that would just be resolved but unfortunately, as events continued to unfold, it turned out to be a premeditated murder. Shockingly, the decomposing corpse of Chinedu was discovered in one of the rooms at ‘DE Homes Hotel’ located in Ejigbo by one of their staff, two days later.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, the Manager of the hotel went to Ejigbo Divisional Police Station on Friday, 8, 2014, to report the case of murder and investigation began.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HOW SUSPECTS CHECKED INTO HOTEL</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A reliable source in the hotel intimated that early on Wednesday morning, the prime suspect, Okorocha Michael along with another young man simply identified as Okey,checked into the hotel with the name Christian. “He booked the room for three days with the name Christian. He claimed he is a youth corps member who wanted to write exams and would be there from that Wednesday to Friday. He also said he was expecting his cousin to join him in the hotel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">‘After booking, Michael left his friend Okey in the hotel and returned an hour before the victim, Chinedu arrived the hotel, which was at about 3pm that day. As soon as Chinedu arrived the hotel, Michael took him to the room. We don’t know what happened inside the room. However, it was later gathered that during their stay in the room, the suspect reportedly confronted the victim on some personal issues. The confrontation eventually led to a heated argument, which later led to the suspect strangulating the victim to death.  On Friday, a hotel staff discovered the lifeless body of the young man and alerted the police.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ABANDONED IN A POOL OF BLOOD</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, Chinedu was murdered and left in the pool of his blood by unfriendly friends, who brutally killed and abandoned his corpse, went ahead and demanded for ransom from his parents.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ARREST OF SUSEPCTS</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crime Guard</span> learnt the 24-year-old suspect, Okorocha Michael, who was arrested on Sunday, in a friend’s house around Ajah area in Lagos, is a graduate of Lagos City Polytechnic, Ikeja. He has been unemployed since he completed his youth service in February this year.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">APPEAL FOR JUSTICE</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity revealed that the Okere’s were willing to pay the ransom, and were still trying to get it when his corpse was discovered. ‘We sincerely pray that law takes it full course, his killers brought to book and Chinedu will get the justice he deserves even in death,’ the source stated.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/covenant-varsity-student-20-kidnapped-murdered-lagos/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_strip_container NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <br /></div>

How Covenant Varsity student, 20, was kidnapped, murdered in Lagos

Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap and murder of a 20-year-old undergraduate, ...

Read more »

How Covenant Varsity student, 20, was kidnapped, murdered in Lagos

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap and murder of a 20-year-old undergraduate, identified as John Chinedu Okere, who until his death was a 300 level Electrical Engineering student at Covenant University, Otta in Ogun State.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, Chinedu left his parent’s house in the morning of Wednesday, August 6, 2014, to a Hospital in Yaba, Lagos for medical reasons and never returned. He reportedly left home with about N6000 and that was the last time he was seen alive.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The mysterious disappearance of Chinedu, caused a stir as the parents ran helter-skelter, in search of him to no avail.  They  gathered from some family members that one of his friends called on phone earlier that morning to tell him to meet him at an undisclosed hotel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">KIDNAP</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crime Guard</span>  learnt that at about mid-day,the victim’s father, Jude Okere, received an SMS notifying him that Chinedu had been kidnapped. Later, he received a phone call from a hidden number demanding N10 million ransom for the release of his son. The caller allegedly threatened to kill the victim if the parents refused to comply as the line went dead.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FATHER’S TESTIMONY</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_460817" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 239px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/covenant-varsity-student-20-kidnapped-murdered-lagos/john-chinedu-okere/" rel="attachment wp-att-460817" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="John Chinedu Okere" class="size-full wp-image-460817" height="311" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Chinedu-Okere.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="229" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">John Chinedu Okere</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chinedu’s  father said: “ At about mid-day, I received an SMS that John had been kidnapped. Later, I received a phone call from a hidden number. The</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">caller said they had my son, Chinedu and demanded N10 million as ransom threatening to kill him if we refuse to comply. Immediately, I inquired who the caller was, the line went dead. My wife and I quickly reported the case to the Divisional Police Station at Sabo, Yaba.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After the case was reported to the Police at Sabo, Yaba, it was later transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja the next day where investigations commenced.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DEAD BODY IN A HOTEL ROOM</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was learnt that initially when the whole issue started, the family of the victim felt it was a kidnap that would just be resolved but unfortunately, as events continued to unfold, it turned out to be a premeditated murder. Shockingly, the decomposing corpse of Chinedu was discovered in one of the rooms at ‘DE Homes Hotel’ located in Ejigbo by one of their staff, two days later.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, the Manager of the hotel went to Ejigbo Divisional Police Station on Friday, 8, 2014, to report the case of murder and investigation began.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HOW SUSPECTS CHECKED INTO HOTEL</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A reliable source in the hotel intimated that early on Wednesday morning, the prime suspect, Okorocha Michael along with another young man simply identified as Okey,checked into the hotel with the name Christian. “He booked the room for three days with the name Christian. He claimed he is a youth corps member who wanted to write exams and would be there from that Wednesday to Friday. He also said he was expecting his cousin to join him in the hotel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">‘After booking, Michael left his friend Okey in the hotel and returned an hour before the victim, Chinedu arrived the hotel, which was at about 3pm that day. As soon as Chinedu arrived the hotel, Michael took him to the room. We don’t know what happened inside the room. However, it was later gathered that during their stay in the room, the suspect reportedly confronted the victim on some personal issues. The confrontation eventually led to a heated argument, which later led to the suspect strangulating the victim to death.  On Friday, a hotel staff discovered the lifeless body of the young man and alerted the police.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ABANDONED IN A POOL OF BLOOD</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to reports, Chinedu was murdered and left in the pool of his blood by unfriendly friends, who brutally killed and abandoned his corpse, went ahead and demanded for ransom from his parents.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ARREST OF SUSEPCTS</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crime Guard</span> learnt the 24-year-old suspect, Okorocha Michael, who was arrested on Sunday, in a friend’s house around Ajah area in Lagos, is a graduate of Lagos City Polytechnic, Ikeja. He has been unemployed since he completed his youth service in February this year.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">APPEAL FOR JUSTICE</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity revealed that the Okere’s were willing to pay the ransom, and were still trying to get it when his corpse was discovered. ‘We sincerely pray that law takes it full course, his killers brought to book and Chinedu will get the justice he deserves even in death,’ the source stated.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/covenant-varsity-student-20-kidnapped-murdered-lagos/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_strip_container NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <br /></div>

How Covenant Varsity student, 20, was kidnapped, murdered in Lagos

Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the kidnap and murder of a 20-year-old undergraduate, ...

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Obiano raises bar on crime fighting, deploys drones to track kidnappers

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header class="post-header cf" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 21px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="featured" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/obiano-new.jpg" itemprop="image" rel="prettyPhoto" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Obiano raises bar on crime fighting, deploys drones to track kidnappers"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="obiano-new" class="attachment-main-slider wp-post-image no-display appear" height="320" src="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/obiano-new-702x320.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Obiano raises bar on crime fighting, deploys drones to track kidnappers" width="702" /></span></a></div> <h1 class="post-title" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 35px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></h1> <a class="comments" href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=74106#comments" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px -35px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="fa fa-comments-o" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The intense crack­down of crimi­nals in Anambra State entered a new phase at the weekend when Gov­ernor Willie Obiano announced his readi­ness to deploy drones and a handful of other hi-tech surveillance equipment to smoke out criminals in the state from their hiding places for immediate arrest and prosecution. </span></a><a class="comments" href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=74106#comments" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px -35px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The governor, who spoke at the final test-running of the drones at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia before their deployment to trouble spots across the state, also declared the resolve of his administration to sustain the campaign against kidnappers, armed robbers and other organised crimes in the state until they were either driven out or clamped in jail.</span></a></header><div class="post-container cf" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-content-right" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-content description" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px -1.857em; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to him, his decision to use hi-tech devices to track down criminals in the state marked the commence­ment of the second phase of the ongoing campaign, which relied on sophisticated intel­ligence gathering and clinical insolation of the flash points of crime to ensure a comprehensive cleansing of the state of all criminals.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The governor, who felt greatly buoyed by the overwhelming sup­port he received from the natives of the state resident in Abuja and the surrounding areas, who collectively pooled about N100 million to support his crime-fight­ing campaign, vowed to sustain the pressure on criminal elements in the state until they had been reduced to proportions that could be policed.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He maintained that with the financial dona­tions and goodwill he had received from Ndi Anambra, he would re-invigorate Operation Kpochapu with a new technological edge that would boost its capac­ity to detect and prevent crime in the state.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We are moving into the next phase of our campaign against criminals in Anambra State. Our efforts shall be more intensely fo­cused on crime detec­tion and prevention. That is the reason we are deploying hi-tech surveillance equipment to spy on the activities of crime suspects and forestall possibilities of violent crime,” Obiano explained, pointing out that the new phase re­quired a lot of creativity.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Modern crime-fighting requires a lot of creativity. Criminals are extremely inven­tive and we have to be a step ahead of them to outsmart them. We are relying heavily on tech­nology to give us their coordinates and the gen­eral direction of their plans,” he explained, recalling that the recent rescue of a kidnap vic­tim, who was tracked all the way to Orlu in Imo State, was a clear demonstration of the ef­ficacy of technology in crime fighting.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Said he: “As soon as we got wind of the kid­nap, we moved in and activated the devices. We monitored their movement to their hide­out in Orlu, Imo State and waited until all the suspects were fully in before we picked them up.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Since he came into of­fice in March this year, Governor Obiano had singled out the challenge of insecurity as a major focus of his administra­tion and evolved a num­ber of highly effective strategies that had put criminals on the run in Anambra State.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of the most vis­ible aspects of his strat­egy was the erection of security tents that were stuffed with sandbags in all existing and potential dark spots in the state, manned by combat-ready armed security operatives.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In addition to serving as a deterrent, the pres­ence of the trained and pointedly unobtrusive security personnel in strategic areas made it easy for a swift co-ordi­nation of counter-strikes that took brigands un­awares.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The swift and coordi­nated reaction that led to the arrest of Okechuk­wu Nnaegbo, a kidnap kingpin, at the Murtala Mohammed Interna­tional Airport in a South African-bound aircraft remains one of the high points of Obiano’s cam­paign to cleanse the state of criminal elements and restore confidence in the people.</span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Obiano raises bar on crime fighting, deploys drones to track kidnappers

  The intense crack­down of crimi­nals in Anambra State entered a new phase at the weekend when Gov­ernor Willie Obiano announced his r...

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