The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four persons in connection with the murder of 56-year-old Kelechi Madu in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area.
Madu was reported missing by his wife barely two days before his body was found.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement on Friday that the prime suspect, 32-year-old Ifeanyi Nwankwo, a friend of the deceased, confessed to plotting the killing and hiring two others to carry it out.
According to Ikenga, investigations showed that Nwankwo allegedly collected money from Madu under the pretext of helping him acquire land. To cover up the fraudulent transaction, he allegedly contracted two other persons to murder him.
Madu’s wife reported him missing on August 18, 2026, after he left home on the evening of August 17 and did not return.
Following the report, police operatives, working with local vigilantes and family members, launched a search to locate him.
Later that same day, the wife returned to the station in distress to report that her husband’s body had been found in a bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
Police teams were immediately deployed to the scene where Madu was found dead with a deep axe wound to the head. His corpse was evacuated and deposited in a hospital morgue for preservation.
“In the course of the investigation, the Command arrested Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, a friend of the deceased, who confessed to his involvement in the planning and killing of Mr. Kelechi Madu,” the statement read.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, has ordered a full-scale investigation to apprehend all those involved in the conspiracy and killing.
“The Command is determined to ensure that every person connected to the crime is brought to justice,” Ikenga said.
He added that the police will continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes and ensure perpetrators face the law.
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