The Delta State Police Command has arrested a man, Efe Onoetiyi, for killing his best friend, Paulinus Okon, after taking over N50 million from him.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, disclosed this on Monday while parading Efe and four others involved in the crime.
Olufemi said, “This case is particularly painful as it involves the murder of Paulinus Okon by his close friend, Efe Onoetiyi. Paulinus was reported missing on September 8, 2024, by his brother after he went out with Efe. Initially, Efe denied knowing Paulinus’s whereabouts and even came to the family, pretending to help them search for him.”
According to the Commissioner, Efe later claimed Paulinus had been kidnapped and demanded N500,000 to pay a herbalist who could locate him. He also collected a ransom of over N20 million from Paulinus’s brother, claiming he was negotiating with the kidnappers.
When the family grew suspicious, Efe was arrested, and the case was handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba.
Following an in-depth investigation, another suspect, Okeimute Gaga, confessed to the crime. Gaga revealed how Efe brought Paulinus to the Orere River in Otokutu, where he and two accomplices, Sunday Ikpeba and herbalist Lawrence Joseph, tied Paulinus to a stake and beheaded him alive on September 8, 2024.
Gaga stated, “We threw the body into the river, and the herbalist buried the head at his shrine.”
Police officers later exhumed Paulinus’s skull from the shrine.
Efe confessed to the crime, explaining that he killed Paulinus because he had diverted N30 million that Paulinus had given him to purchase a house. Instead of buying the house, Efe used the money to buy two plots of land and began building a duplex.
“I didn’t know how to explain to Paulinus that I had used his money, so I thought killing him would solve the problem,” Efe admitted.
The Commissioner of Police urged the public to be vigilant about the friends they trust, especially during the festive season. He added, “Parents need to take the upbringing of their children more seriously, especially boy children.”
The suspects remain in custody, and they have all confessed to the crime. They admitted that the victim’s head was sacrificed to the gods of the community.
