Andy Esiet, Calabar
The Police in Calabar, Cross River state has nabbed one Eyo Etim, a 49 year old man who allegedly kidnapped and killed one Miss Harmony Edemawan of Atim Asam Community near Iban Amanso Effiom Residential layout in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state and dumped her corpse in a septic tank.
This incident sent shock waves in the community as the bubble burst when the vigilant boys in the community conducted a search round the culprit’s compound , saw blood stains on the ground and invited the police who now ordered that the septic tank be opened.
The suspect had carefully sealed back the septic tank and covered it with sand, when the police team arrived with the suspect who is popularly known as “enem uyoh” (sweet voice) at the scene he claimed the tank was emptied last Saturday but the youths insisted on opening it and upon doing that the deceased lifeless body was found.
The Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS), a tactical Unit of the Cross River State Police Command (The Dragon Squad) investigating the matter had stormed the area on December 25, in the early hours of Christmas day and recovered the remains of Edemawan from a septic tank.
While investigating the incident of kidnap, the police had on December 22 arrested the suspect, Etim who turned out to be the suspect that allegedly masterminded the killing of Edemawan over a phantom debt owed him by the deceased.
Leader of the Dragon squad, a Superintendent of Police (SP) Ogini Chukwuma swung into action based on report of the victim’s kidnap from her residence on December 22 at Atim Asam Community and based on credible intelligence using undercover agents, Dragon Squad arrested the suspect who allegedly abducted the victim , killed her wrapped with a foam and dumped her corpse inside a septic tank on same December 22 in the septic tank in his compound.
It was further gathered that three similar foams were found in the suspects compound which is believed he might killed some other persons and dumped their bodies in a similar circumstance.
On December 25, top security sources disclosed that the Dragon Squad mobilised and stormed the residence of the victim and found her lifeless body inside the septic tank , then took her to the morgue while the suspect is still in custody.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sule Balarabe who confirmed the incident to some newsmen on Sunday, December 25, said it was true that they have a suspect in custody in connection with the kidnap of a middle aged lady whose remains was later discovered in a septic tank .
He said, “the suspect had earlier given false information that the victim sold his property amounting to about N9 million and didn’t want to remit same amount back to him. So he contacted some persons to abduct her in a bid to recover the money, she was killed and dumped inside the septic tank.
“We have recovered her body from the septic tank and deposited same at the Mortuary and further investigation is ongoing to unravel the mystery and also arrest other accomplices involved”.
However further investigation revealed that the suspect borrowed about N1.2 million from the victim who he is said to be dating her niece ( Ruth Edem, 22), a 200 level UNICAL student.
Family sources who pleaded anonymity, stated that the deceased, a Lafarge staff and the bread winner of her family only wanted to help the suspect by giving him some money to boost his palm oil business earlier this year and “our sister gave him the money in tranches and it’s about N1.2 million earlier this year.
“It’s about a year and our sister needed to return the money back to where she got it because it was not her own but the suspect refused instead he turned the whole thing around claiming he gave our sister a house document to sell and our sister absconded with the proceeds of N9 million”.
One of the relations who pleaded anonymity said, “I last saw my sister on Wednesday , 21st December , then on Thursday we spoke on phone but she told me she was in the bathroom promising to call me back but I never heard from her again until on Christmas day when her dead body was found and recovered by the police ” .
