A 30-year-old man, identified only as Leberechi, has been arrested in Anambra State for allegedly killing his 25-year-old apprentice and concealing the victim’s dismembered body inside a refrigerator at his residence in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area.
Leberechi, a spare parts dealer at the Mgbuka Spare Parts Market along Onitsha-Owerri Road, was said to have lured the apprentice home on Saturday under the guise of making payment for goods he purchased.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the suspect killed the victim in his room, dismembered the body, and stored the parts in a refrigerator.
One trader, who asked not to be named, told PUNCH Metro: *“The boy was an apprentice in the market. The suspect bought an item from him on Saturday and asked him to follow him home to collect the money. On Monday, the market did not open due to the sit-at-home closure, but on Tuesday, we did not see the boy.
“When confronted and interrogated over the whereabouts of the boy, the suspect displayed some suspicious moves. Following the interrogations, some people in the market took him for a search in his house, where they found the dismembered body parts of the victim in a refrigerator in his apartment.
“He was brought back to the market and was about to be lynched by a mob before the intervention of police officers. The police have also sealed the house where the incident took place.”*
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect was rescued from an attempted mob action and rushed to the hospital.
Ikenga stated, *“The Anambra State Police Command operatives attached to the Okpoko Division on September 2, 2025, rescued a suspect from an attempted jungle justice after he was alleged to have murdered a 25-year-old male and concealed the victim’s dismembered body inside a refrigerator at Okpoko.
“The suspect, later identified as Leberechi, other names unknown, and about 30 years of age, was already in an unconscious state before he was arrested.
“He was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention and is currently under armed guards to prevent escape.
“The operatives visited the scene of the murder and discovered the decomposed body parts of the victim hidden inside a refrigerator. The remains were subsequently evacuated to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”*
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for further investigation and prosecution.
Advertisement
