BY ISAN ISIOMA CARLOS
A 38-year-old palm oil miller identified as Mr. Victor Ochei, from Ileje quarters in Umunede, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, was allegedly murdered recently, by his co-worker named Moses from Benue State.
Our correspondent gathered that Ochei’s sudden disappearance was discovered when his landlady raised alarm on Monday morning, June 23, 2025, after they checked his apartment, but he was nowhere to be found.
A close family source revealed that initially, Ochei’s phone was off when they tried to call him.
It was further gathered that later that day, someone sent a message from the phone stating that he had been kidnapped and that a ransom of N10m would be demanded for his release.
The kidnapper refused to allow Oche’s family members to speak with their abducted son and brother, even though they requested to do so before any payment could be made.
He said that the kidnappers promised to provide them with the location to drop off the ransom once it was ready. When Ochei’s family requested to make a partial payment to speak with their abducted relative before completing the full ransom, the suspect eventually agreed due to his desperation for money.
It was disclosed that the suspect later accepted N300,000 after the Ochei family explained that it was all they could gather at that moment while they continued to seek the full ransom amount.
Unfortunately for Moses (the suspect) he provided an Opay account under the name of Thomas Desmond Agi, which led to his photograph being linked to the account to which he requested them to pay in the ransom.
It was then that Ochei family began to suspect Moses when they discovered a bank account featuring his photograph. They used the medium to appeal to the general public that anyone who might know him to assist in searching for him.
However, the suspect (Mr. Moses) was later apprehended on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Akumazi-Umuocha with the assistance of a closed family friend who was familiar with him.
The apprehended suspect later revealed to the deceased family that he was the one communicating with them on the phone.
An evidence of a transaction alert linked to theN300,000 paid as ransom was discovered on his second phone along with the late Ochei’s telephone..
The suspect later led the deceased family members, accompanied by security operatives to a bush in Ute-Okpu, where the late Ochei’s motorcycle was discovered.
He claimed to have no knowledge of his missing co-worker.
Following the incident, Moses was later handed over to the policemen at Divisional Police Headquarters in Umunede, who then transferred him to the Police Area Command in Agbor.
He was later transfered to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at the State Police Command Headquarters in Asaba, where he later admitted to have murdered Mr .Ochei.
He alleged that he felt mistreated at their oil milling business, which he claimed motivated his violent actions in an attempt to take control. The body of the late Ochei was recovered in the bush at Ute-Okpu.
