Killers of NNPC staff arrested, remains recovered…the gory details of how they murdered him

A statement on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said on receiving this complaint through the Police email platform, policemonitor@npf.gov.ng, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, promptly ordered a discreet and comprehensive investigation into the case
Following a painstaking and diligent investigation, detectives from the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force have successfully solved the riddle surrounding the sudden and hitherto unexplained disappearance of Sylvester Emefiele, staff of the Transformation Office of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Emefiele was reported to have left Lagos on September 23, 2012, sequel to a call from his office asking him to report in Abuja on September 24, 2012 in order to process his visa to Hungary for a training programme.
A statement on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said on receiving this complaint through the Police email platform, policemonitor@npf.gov.ng, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, promptly ordered a discreet and comprehensive investigation into the case.
Subsequently, detectives from the FSARS, led by DCP Chris Ezike, swung into action, and through systematic and high-level investigative techniques, tracked down one Olaniyi Banjo, a 20-year-old resident of Ilesa, Osun State, who bought the Blackberry phone of the deceased from one of the principal suspects, Akindele Taiwo.
The sustained surveillance and investigative efforts of the police led to the arrest of the masterminds of the crime on June 8, 2013.
Those arrested were 30-year old Timothy Abidemi Lekan, a male, alias Leksit, who hails from Osun State; and a 41-year-old Akinlade Taiwo, also male, a native of Modakeke in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State.
The duo, according to Mba, made very useful statements to the police in connection with the disappearance, robbery and killing of Emefiele.
The suspects equally led detectives to the scene of crime, a bush close to the Iddo Campus of the University of Abuja, where the abandoned and totally decomposed remains of the deceased, now mere skeletal parts, were recovered.
A detailed forensic examination, including DNA analysis, has confirmed that the recovered remains were actually those of Emefiele.
Other personal effects of the deceased, including cash, ATM cards, laptop, Blackberry phones, cheque books and personal apparels were also recovered.
Also arrested in connection with the case was a witch-doctor, Saidi Babatunde from Osun State, who was implicated by the suspects for preparing criminal charms for them.
Police investigation, according to Mba, showed that the late Emefiele, while en route from Lagos to Abuja, dropped at Giri in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory at about 8pm on September 23, 2012.
He unsuspectingly boarded a Nissan Sunny Saloon Car, with registration number AG-956-KEF, driven by Akinlade Taiwo, who further picked his accomplice, Timothy Abidemi Lekan.
On the way, they jointly subdued their victim and led him to the bush where he was robbed.
The suspects confirmed that they had earlier forced the deceased to disclose the Personal Identification Number of all his ATM cards, which enabled them to make an initial withdrawal of N186,000 from his Zenith Bank, First Bank and GT Bank accounts at Gwagwalada.
On seeing that their victim still had an outstanding balance of over N800,000, the robbers chose to kill Emefiele by binding his wrists with twine and hitting his chest with their talisman and other dangerous weapons until they were sure he was dead.
Thereafter, they continued making illicit withdrawals from the victim’s accounts until they were apprehended by the Police.
Meanwhile, Mohammed has commended the officers that investigated the case for their diligence, dedication and professionalism, assuring Nigerians that justice will take its course as the suspects have already been arraigned before a competent court of law.
Mohammed has further called on the general public to be wary of the kind of vehicles they enter to avoid falling victim to these hoodlums.
The IGP also promised increased visibility of the police on the country’s highways through intensive vehicular patrols, especially at nights, for the safety and security of road users.