PUNCH
A key suspect in the abduction and killing of Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Kaduna, has confessed that he orchestrated the kidnapping because he needed ₦200,000 to solve a personal problem. The suspect, arrested alongside accomplices by Operation Safe Haven in Jos, denied ordering the priest’s murder, claiming he was unaware his cohorts would kill the victim.
Another suspect admitted being pressured into joining the crime. Fr. Okechukwu was abducted on March 4 in Tachira, Kaura LGA, and his body was found the next day. Troops raided a settlement in Lere LGA to apprehend the suspects.