How community leader was murdered in Benue, savings carted away

Ipole Ugbugbu in Owukpa community, Ogbadibo local government area of Benue State was on Friday thrown into mourning as one of the community leaders, identified as Mrs. Edugwu Ogwuche, was murdered in cold blood during her sleep.

Co-wife to the deceased discovered her lifeless body while sweeping the compound early in the morning and immediately alerted neighbours, who came and saw all Ogwuche’s personal effects scattered in both the inner and the sitting rooms.

Family sources, who told DAILY POST that the septuagenarian had two days earlier been handed monetary collections of the local thrift society, narrated that her savings boxes were broken, clothes’ boxes opened and scattered, with the money and other valuables contained therein carted away.


Worried by the incident, the community promptly reported the case at the Divisional Police headquarters in Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA. Officers from the station came and found the woman strangled with a slight cut on her neck. Further investigations are said to be presently ongoing.

Meanwhile, members of the community are suspecting that a hardened criminal in his twenties must have carried out the act. He is said to have been convicted for a burglary case in Ipole Ugbugbu and sent to Otukpo Prison where he was until last year when he was granted bail.

A family source told DAILY POST that the suspect “was seen in the village by different persons in secret places of his hideout before the incident. And he was also sighted on a bike while sneaking out of the community early hours of the day the incident happened.”

Our correspondent gathered that the family has already contacted the Nigeria Police Force-Complaint Response Unit, NPF-CRU, which promptly replied that “Your complaint is hereby acknowledged and investigation has been initiated” and issued a tracking number for the case.

Speaking with DAILY POST over the death, the deceased’s son, Anthony Igoche, a staff of Federal Air Port Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, said, ” Mama was a peacemaker. She had no problem with anybody in the community. She had never for once stopped me from helping people from my community. Each time I traveled home, mum would encourage me to welcome our people to the house and we merry together, so I wonder who could have done this to us.”

Igoche, however, expressed optimism that whoever was behind his mother’s gruesome murder would be brought to book in a matter of days, trusting that the police investigation already initiated would yield a positive result.

Also speaking, a family member, Engr. Mayas Adoyi lamented, ” She was a noble woman,a royal blood, an evangelist, indeed a missionary of sort. Mama was the community peacemaker. All disputes were resolved before her. She was kind to a fault.

”It is painful that she went to bed bidding everyone good night. It was to be her last night on earth. The terror sneaked into her room and tortured her to death. They tortured our Mama ! Who? Who has brought darkness to my village? I can’t see clearly now. Cloud has filled my eyes.

“Mama Edugwu-Ogwuche Igoche was a great Aunt. So strong, so charismatic,” Mayas, a Deputy Director said.

DAILY POST had tried to reach the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Otukpa, CSP Abubakar, who responded by stating that questions regarding the incident be directed to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state.