Operatives of the Cross River State police command have arrested a 49-year-old man, Eyo Etim for allegedly kidnapping and murdering one Miss Harmony Edemawan of Atim Asam community near Iban Amanso Effiom Residential Layout in Akpabuyo local government area. The suspect who reportedly hid the victim’s body in a septic tank was nabbed on Christmas Day.
Sources in Akpabuyo community told LEADERSHIP that the bubble burst when the vigilantes in the community conducted a search round the residence of the suspect when news spread that the victim had been missing.
The vigilantes saw blood stains on the ground of the suspect and decided to invite the police to the residence of the suspect. Upon arrival at the suspect’s compound, the police ordered that the septic tank be forced open.
After pressure was mounted by youths in the area in conjunction with the Dragon Squad that the tank be forced open, the tank was subsequently forced open and the body of the victim, Edemawan, a lady that works with Lafarge Holcim was recovered in the septic tank.
The police subsequently arrested the suspect, Eyo Etim for allegedly masterminding the killing of Edemawan over a debt the suspect allegedly owed him.
The leader of the Dragon Squad, a Superintendent of Police (SP) Ogini Chukwuma responded to the call after a distress call was put across to Dragon Squad that someone had been missing from her residence since December 22, 2022.
While confirming the incident, the Cross River State police commissioner, Mr Sule Balarabe, stated that it was true that they have a suspect in custody in connection with the kidnap of a middle-aged lady whose body was discovered in a septic tank.
“The suspect had earlier given false information that the victim sold his property amounting to about N9 million and failed to remit the same amount back to him.
“So, he contacted some persons to abduct her in a bid to recover the money, she was killed and dumped inside the septic tank.
“We have recovered her body from the septic tank and deposited the same at the mortuary and further investigation is ongoing to unravel the mystery and also arrest other accomplices involved,” he said.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspect borrowed about N1.2 million from the victim who he is said to be dating her niece (Ruth Edem, 22), a 200 level UNICAL student.
One of deceased family member who spoke on condition of anonymity averred that the deceased, a Lafarge staff gave some amount of money to her killer because she wanted to assist the suspect to boost his palm oil business earlier this year and “our sister gave him the money in tranches and it’s about N1.2 million earlier this year.’’
