Operatives of Operation Puff Adder of the Bayelsa State Police Command and officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Lagos have rejected a bribe of N4 million offered by George Idumangi, the prime suspect in the murder of Bayelsa estate agent, Richard Ekpebu.
Idumangi was arrested on Monday at the Festac Town office of the Immigration Service while attempting to collect his newly processed international passport.
His arrest followed intelligence sharing between the Immigration Service, the Lagos State Police Command (Area E), and Operation Puff Adder in Bayelsa.
Security sources said that the suspect, in a desperate bid to evade justice, first offered immigration officers N4 million not to hand him over to the police.
He later attempted to give police operatives N3 million to either delete a file from his phone or destroy the device altogether.
A senior police officer in Yenagoa said, “He begged them to allow him delete a particular file on his phone and offered two million Naira. When that failed, he raised it to three million to have the phone destroyed. But the officers stood their ground and refused.”
It was further gathered that when the Bayelsa team of Operation Puff Adder, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, arrived in Lagos to take custody of the suspect, he repeated the bribery attempt but was sternly rebuffed. His international passport and phone are now in police custody as exhibits.
Police spokesman in Bayelsa, SP Musa Mohammed, confirmed the development. “Yes, he offered them the bribe,” Mohammed said.
Meanwhile, other suspects linked to the killing include one Victor Shadrack, also known as Doggy, an associate nicknamed Insurance, and Idumangi’s girlfriend, Miss Victory Benard Henry, who allegedly received N1 million for her role in the crime.
The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has condemned the killing and distanced itself from the suspects, amid reports that some of them claim to be members of the youth body.
Its president, Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, described the murder as “heinous” and said the organisation would cooperate fully with the police.
“We stand firmly against crimes and criminalities, and our founding philosophy has always been rooted in peace, justice and development,” he said. “The deceased was a promising Ijaw youth, and we share in the grief of his family. Nobody has the right to take another person’s life, and we want justice served.”
The suspect is expected to be flown back to Yenagoa in the coming days to face further investigation and prosecution.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
