Three murder suspects, Emmanuel Opia, Sunday Opia and Benson Opia are currently in police net at the Delta State Police CID over the brutal murder of an Army Captain, Isaac Opia.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Mustafa Muhammed who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to journalists in Asaba on Tuesday, said the suspects allegedly organized the murder of the said army captain who interestingly was their brother, adding they were arrested immediately after the incident in October 2014, and granted bail, unfortunately a petition was written by a lawyer to the family of the slain army captain accusing the police of compromising.
He said: “the claim army captain family lawyer, one Barrister Gab Udoh petition the IGP over the incident and the IGP ordered a full scale fresh investigation into the matter last month September 2018, the suspects were however re-arrested, are currently while investigations are ongoing”.
CP Mustafa Muhammed said that the army captain was brutally murdered in cold blood on the 13th of October, 2014 in Abraka community road on his way from the UBA Bank where he had gone to withdraw some money.
The army captain’s assailants were said to have allegedly shot him on the chest severally, and collected his money including his pistol before leaving him in a pool of blood where he stayed for several days unknown to his family members before he was discovered by search party from Umutu community where he hailed from.
Although, the suspects who spoke to journalists at the state CID denied the murder involvement, but the late Opia Ekanem captain’s senior daughter, Lillian Opia who spoke to journalists said “the three suspects Emmanuel Opia, Benson Opioa and Sunday who are supposed to be my father’s brother sold my father out to assassins who killed after withdrawing money from UBA Bank on the fateful day, the police earlier stepped in, and investigation matter as the suspects were later released thereafter, the suspects started threatening our lives, particularly my brother, the senior son of late captain Isaac Opia, Jude Opia, a South Africa based businessman, the suspects have forcefully taken over my father’s two houses in No. 5 Okpeteshi Street in Umutu”.
It was gathered that the suspects allegedly conspired with some hoodlums on the said October 2014 who ambushed the army captain within Abraka community where he had gone to withdraw N300, 000 and killed him with multiple bullets.
Since then, Mrs. Lilian Opia Ekanem, the slain army senior daughter said, the police suppressed the matter, and a fresh petition by their lawyer to the IGP, and they were re-arrested on Monday.
According to her “the suspects after their released then, alleged launched several attacks including diabolic arrows on us, (we children of the late army captain) they vowed they will see us dead in the case because we were asking for our rights, all attempts before now to seek justice failed, we reported the matter to the king of Umutu nothing was done, the suspects had boasted of being untouchable by the power of their juju, and all attempts did not see the light of the day until recently”.
She alleged that the suspects apart from the threats to their lives, allegedly hijacked two flats and a land measuring 100 x 100 located in Umutu community their father’s property and, sold them before sharing the proceeds among themselves.
“It is important to state here that Emmanuel Opia had once allegedly murdered a boy in Umutu community, and had been pursuing the ownership of my father’s security company” Mrs. Lilian Opia Ekanem added.
Speaking further, the police boss said the suspects will be charged to court on completion of investigation, adding the petitioner alleged the sum of N300, 000 debt unpaid to the late army captain by one of the suspects Emmanuel Opia before the victim was allegedly murdered in cold blood.
Unconfirmed family sources said that the army captain was allegedly murdered for envy of his sweat and affluence in the said Opia family in Umutu community in Delta State.
