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| Murdered:Cynthia Osokogu. Image: Punch |
The Lagos State Police Command has commenced investigations into the death of Cynthia Osokogu, the only daughter of Major General Frank Osokogu (retd), who was reported missing on July 22, 2012.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Osokogu, who was based in Nassarawa, went to visit a friend in Abuja before leaving for Lagos to purchase goods for her boutique.
According to reliable sources, the 24-year-old was received at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos by unknown persons, who took her to a hotel in FESTAC area of the state before she disappeared.
It was learnt that attempts by family members to ascertain her whereabouts were made more difficult because none of them lived in Lagos.
As weeks went by, concerned friends and relatives sent messages through BlackBerry device and social media about the missing girl but no information regarding her whereabouts was forthcoming.
But her corpse had been found in a mortuary. It was learnt that family and friends had thought she was missing because they did not know that she was dead.
One of the sources said, “There are indications Osukogwu, who is a postgraduate student of Nasarawa State University, was killed at the hotel before her corpse was transferred to the mortuary.
“Police investigations suggest that Osukogwu was robbed and killed in the hotel she lodged in by the same people she was supposed to do business with.”
Our correspondent learnt that policemen had interrogated some employees of the hotel and had arrested some suspects after the hotel management presented CCTV footage of the culprits while entering her room.
The culprits were said to be the same people who actually paid for her flight ticket to Lagos.
Police sources said the culprits belong to a syndicate that specialised in luring young women to Lagos for “evil purpose”.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the matter was transferred to Area E Command, FESTAC since July but family of the deceased only got the news of the incident on Saturday.
It was not clear why the police delayed giving the information to the family.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident but said she did not have the details as at press time.
However, a reliable source at the station told our correspondent that six people had been arrested and were being interrogated by the police.
She said, “Six people were arrested on Sunday over the incident and investigations are ongoing.”
