By Francis Sadhere, Warri
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, and his stepbrother, Smart Okwuokenye, aged 26, in connection with the kidnap and murder of two persons, including one Friday Liberty, a 22-year-old man who went missing after visiting the herbalist’s shrine in Ika North East Local Government Area.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, October 26, 2025, by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, the arrest followed a petition filed on October 14, 2025, by the victim’s family after several failed attempts to locate him.
Edafe explained that Liberty, who had been a client of the herbalist, visited his shrine in Owa-Alidima on September 30, 2025, and never returned home. Suspicion arose when the deceased’s girlfriend informed the family that she overheard conversations linking him to the herbalist.
When contacted, the suspect initially denied seeing the victim, claiming he would conduct spiritual incantations to help find him. However, after receiving payments from the family with no results, the family reported the matter to the police.
Acting on intelligence, detectives from the Agbor Area Command launched a detailed investigation and eventually discovered that the herbalist was the last person seen with the victim. Surveillance was mounted around his shrine for several days before operatives apprehended him on October 23, 2025, while hiding inside a refrigerator.
During interrogation, Amechi Okwuokenye confessed that he and his brother kidnapped Friday Liberty and the motorcycle rider, Isioma Ugbeje, who had transported Liberty to the shrine. The suspects allegedly demanded a ransom of ₦10 million but later killed both victims when the plan failed.
“The herbalist admitted that Liberty had been his longtime client who frequently visited him for charms to hypnotize customers. His elder brother then convinced him to lure one of his clients so they could kidnap and demand ransom,” Edafe stated.
The police spokesperson added that the bodies of both victims were found dumped inside a soakaway pit near the shrine. Their remains have since been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
Edafe said the suspects are currently in custody and that further investigations are ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, assured the public that the command remains committed to ensuring justice is served.
“The Delta State Police Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice prevails in this gruesome case,” CP Abaniwonda said.
The police urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police formation.
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, and his stepbrother, Smart Okwuokenye, aged 26, in connection with the kidnap and murder of two persons, including one Friday Liberty, a 22-year-old man who went missing after visiting the herbalist’s shrine in Ika North East Local Government Area.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, October 26, 2025, by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, the arrest followed a petition filed on October 14, 2025, by the victim’s family after several failed attempts to locate him.
Edafe explained that Liberty, who had been a client of the herbalist, visited his shrine in Owa-Alidima on September 30, 2025, and never returned home. Suspicion arose when the deceased’s girlfriend informed the family that she overheard conversations linking him to the herbalist.
When contacted, the suspect initially denied seeing the victim, claiming he would conduct spiritual incantations to help find him. However, after receiving payments from the family with no results, the family reported the matter to the police.
Acting on intelligence, detectives from the Agbor Area Command launched a detailed investigation and eventually discovered that the herbalist was the last person seen with the victim. Surveillance was mounted around his shrine for several days before operatives apprehended him on October 23, 2025, while hiding inside a refrigerator.
During interrogation, Amechi Okwuokenye confessed that he and his brother kidnapped Friday Liberty and the motorcycle rider, Isioma Ugbeje, who had transported Liberty to the shrine. The suspects allegedly demanded a ransom of ₦10 million but later killed both victims when the plan failed.
“The herbalist admitted that Liberty had been his longtime client who frequently visited him for charms to hypnotize customers. His elder brother then convinced him to lure one of his clients so they could kidnap and demand ransom,” Edafe stated.
The police spokesperson added that the bodies of both victims were found dumped inside a soakaway pit near the shrine. Their remains have since been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
Edafe said the suspects are currently in custody and that further investigations are ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, assured the public that the command remains committed to ensuring justice is served.
“The Delta State Police Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice prevails in this gruesome case,” CP Abaniwonda said.
The police urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police formation.
