The Delta State Police Command has arrested one Mr. Destiny Ogbeh along with his master for the alleged killing of Progress Agidi, an 8-year-old boy suspected to have been murdered for ritual purposes.
According to findings by Vanguard, Destiny Ogbeh, an apprentice to a native doctor in the community, lured Progress to accompany him into the bush to fetch firewood, where the 8-year-old was eventually killed.
Further findings by Vanguard revealed that Ogbeh was paid N30,000 to lure the 8-year-old boy into the bush.
According to the father of the deceased, Mr Ifeanyi Agidi, in a phone call with Vanguard, the search for his son began on November 23, 2024, after efforts to locate him in the immediate vicinity proved abortive.
His words: “My name is Ifeanyi Agidi, a resident of Efeizomor by Eboigbe Street, Owa Alero, a town in Ika North-East LGA of Delta State. I am a 50-year-old roadside vulcanizer. On the 23rd of November this year, I suddenly noticed that my 8-year-old son, Progress, was nowhere to be found. My wife and I, along with the rest of the family, immediately launched a search, but we could not find him in the immediate area.
“Later, someone told us that they overheard Destiny Ogbeh telling Progress to accompany him to the bush to fetch firewood. We went to the house of the native doctor where Destiny Ogbeh was apprenticing, but he and his master denied seeing my son. When we had searched almost everywhere we could and still could not find Progress, we decided to go to the nearby Owa Oyibu police station to make a report. We were told that, since it had not yet been 24 hours since the boy went missing, we should go back, continue searching, and return after 24 hours had passed.
“At this point, the village vigilante group got involved in the search for the missing child. It was later that the lifeless body of my son was discovered in an uncompleted building near the bush. His throat had been slit, and his blood drained, in what appeared to be a ritual killing. The police were called in, and they took the body to the mortuary.
“The police launched a manhunt for Destiny Ogbeh and his master, who had gone into hiding. They were eventually apprehended, and Destiny Ogbeh confessed that he was the one who had lured my son into the bush to be killed. He said he was promised thirty thousand naira for the job. He also mentioned one Dr. Jonah, another native doctor involved in the murder, who lives in Otolokpo, a nearby town.
“The case was moved from Owa Oyibu police station to the Area Command in Agbor and finally to the State CID in Asaba. Officers from the State CID came with us, and we took them to the uncompleted building where my son’s body was found, which was directly opposite the house of the native doctor where Sunday Ogbeh was doing his apprenticeship. Since then, the police have been on the case and said they are still trying to apprehend the third suspect involved.
“However, we are now hearing that the police want to release the two suspects already arrested on bail. This is confusing because I hear that murder is not a bailable offence under our law. So, I am using this medium to appeal to the general public, well-meaning Nigerians, and human rights activists to monitor this matter and ensure that the police, for whatever reason, do not bungle this case.
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“My son Progress must get justice. They slit his throat and drained his blood as if he were a goat. Please, my son must not die in vain. His killers must be brought to book. I don’t have any money to give to the police, but I know that if this case is in the public eye, no one can bungle it.”
When Vanguard reached out to the state Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the call went unanswered. However, a police source disclosed that the two suspects were still in custody. Mr. Ifeanyi Agidi later confirmed to Vanguard that he saw the suspects still in custody after visiting the police station.
