BREAKING: Military Nab Suspected Killers Of Kaduna Priest

Nigerian troops from the special military task force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Plateau State, have arrested two individuals suspected of being involved in the murder of Catholic priest, Sylvester Okechukwu.

The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday, by Samson Zhakom, spokesperson for OPSH, in Jos.

Rev. Fr. Okechukwu, who served in the Catholic Diocese of Kafachan, was abducted on the evening of March 4, at around 9:15 p.m. from his residence in Tachira, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

His lifeless body was later discovered the next day, suggesting that he was likely killed during the abduction.

According to Zhakom, the suspects were apprehended following a raid on the hideout of the prime suspect, located at a Ruga settlement in the Warsa-Piti community of Lere Local Government Area of the state.

“The suspects were arrested following a raid on the prime suspect’s hideout located at a Ruga settlement in Warsa-Piti community, Lere LGA of Kaduna State,” he recounted.

“During preliminary investigation, the prime suspect, a 33-year-old man, confessed to have been contracted by another man, living in the same house with the slain priest to kidnap him,” Zhakom added.

A subsequent operation led to the arrest of the second suspect in Agwan Sarki, Tachira, within Kaura Local Government Area, where Father Okechukwu had been living. The military spokesman further revealed: “Troops in a follow-up operation arrested the suspect at Agwan Sarki, Tachira in Kaura LGA.”

The military confirmed that both suspects are currently in custody, undergoing further interrogation.

Zhakom confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing, with efforts focused on identifying and apprehending the remaining individuals involved in the crime. “Investigations are ongoing to unravel the whereabouts of the remaining persons who participated in the heinous crime,” he assured.