Detectives from the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested three suspects who robbed and later murdered an employee of the Transformation Office of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Sylvester Emefiele.
Emefiele, who had been missing since September, 2012, was allegedly robbed and killed by Timothy Lekan, 30, (alias Leksit), who hails from Osun State, and Akinlade Taiwo, 41, a native of Modakeke in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State.
Also arrested in connection with the case was a witchdoctor, Saidi Babatunde from Osun State, who was implicated by the suspects for preparing criminal charms for them.
Emefiele was said to have left Lagos on September 23, 2012, sequel to a call from his office asking him to report to Abuja the next day in order to process his Visa to Hungary for a training programme.
Police investigation, according to a statement on Thursday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations, Frank Mba, showed that Emefiele, while en route from Lagos to Abuja, disembarked at Giri Junction in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT at about 8pm where he boarded a Nissan Sunny Saloon Car with Reg. No: AG-956-KEF driven by Taiwo who further picked his accomplice, Lekan on the way during which they jointly subdued their victim and led him to the bush where he was robbed.
The suspects, according to the police, confirmed that they had earlier forced the deceased to disclose the Personal Identification Number of all his ATM cards which enabled them to make an initial withdrawal of N186,000 from his Zenith Bank, First Bank and GT Bank accounts at Gwagwalada.
On seeing that their victim still had an outstanding balance of over N800,000, the robbers decided to kill the NNPC worker by binding his wrists with twine and hitting his chest with a talisman and other dangerous weapons until he died.
Thereafter, they continued making illicit withdrawals from the victim’s accounts until they were apprehended by the police.
On receiving a complaint through the policemonitor@npf.gov.ng, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar ordered a comprehensive investigation into the case.
Subsequently, detectives from the FSARS, led by DCP Chris Ezike, tracked down one Olaniyi Banjo, a 20-year-old resident of Ilesa, Osun State, who bought the Blackberry phone of the deceased from Taiwo.
The sustained investigative efforts of the police led to the arrest of the masterminds of the crime on June 8, 2013.