Bottom: The suspects
Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have apprehended four armed robbers responsible for the killing of retired Army Brigadier General Umem Udokwere in Abuja’s Sunshine Estate.
The suspect confessed to the police that the late General Udokwere confronted them with an unloaded gun and they attacked him when they realised his weapon was not active.
The command’s Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, announced that two additional suspects are still at large and have been declared wanted.
General Udukwere was fatally shot during a robbery at his residence on Saturday, June 22. The assailants invaded the Army chief’s home, demanding jewellery and escaping with his pistol.
When interrogated, the suspects said they did not see anything valuable in the general’s house during the attack. They said they met the general with a gun that wasn’t loaded and attacked him after they found out the gun was not loaded.
The house security guard while recounting how his boss was killed to Premium Times, said he saw three of the robbers trying to force themselves into the compound.
He said upon hearing the disturbing sounds and movement of the robbers, late Udokwere opened the door, came down from the top floor of the duplex where his wife and two children were, and was immediately attacked and stabbed.
“I saw three of them, they were trying to open the door and so he came down when he heard the sound of the door. He was stabbed when he came out,” the security man said.
The Vice Chairman of the Estate, Benedicta Odeigba narrated how the general’s wife reached her on the phone when the robbers arrived at their home.
“When they entered, the wife called me on the phone saying that they had entered their house. This is the third time they would attack the house using the same route, the fence (pointing). Maybe two weeks ago or something, the wife still called me that they were hearing the sounds of some people jumping down from the fence. After the woman’s call, I didn’t hear from her again. They hid around while some of them entered,” she said.
Mrs Odeigba further narrated the ordeal of one of the security guards at the main entrance to the estate, Ihakuo Umar. She said Mr Umar heard a sound from where he was observing his duty that night and demonstrated bravery by running towards the place. She said unknown to the security man, some of the robbers were hiding inside the gutter.
Mrs Odeigba stated that Umar was tied, dragged on the floor and dumped in a security tank close to the deceased home.
“He heard that something was going on because if you like that part (pointing) you could easily see the whole estate. He saw them and rushed there not knowing they were hiding under the gutter. They hit him on the head. He fell on the floor and lost consciousness immediately. With blood they proceeded to tie him and then dragged him from that place to the security tank where they also taped his mouth in order not to shout,” she said.
