Delta Police Arrest Herbalist, Brother Over Kidnap and Murder of Two Victims in Agbor

By Diafa Doubra,

The Delta State Police Command has uncovered a gruesome murder case involving a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, and his stepbrother, Smart Okwuokenye, who allegedly kidnapped and killed two individuals, including one of the herbalist’s long-time clients.

According to the police, the incident began on September 30, 2025, when 22-year-old Mr. Friday Liberty visited the herbalist at his shrine in Owa-Alidima, Ika North East Local Government Area, and never returned home. His disappearance initially left his family puzzled until his girlfriend mentioned overhearing a discussion linking him to the herbalist. When the family reached out, Amechi denied seeing him and offered to perform spiritual rituals to locate the missing man. After several fruitless attempts and financial losses, the family lodged a formal complaint at the Agbor Area Command on October 14, 2025.

Acting on intelligence, detectives traced the last known contact of the victim, which led them back to the same herbalist. Surveillance was mounted around his shrine, and on October 23, 2025, officers arrested Amechi while he was hiding inside a refrigerator. During interrogation, he confessed that he and his elder brother had kidnapped Friday Liberty along with a motorcycle rider, identified as Isioma Ugbeje, who had conveyed Liberty to the shrine. The suspects demanded a ransom of ₦10 million but later killed both victims when their plan failed. The decomposing bodies were discovered hidden inside a soakaway pit near the shrine.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the operatives for their swift and intelligence-driven efforts. He assured that justice would be served and reiterated the command’s commitment to maintaining peace and security across the state.

SP Bright Edafe, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed that both suspects are in custody, while the bodies of the victims have been recovered and deposited at a mortuary for autopsy.