Police Arrest Suspected Killer of Bayelsa Estate Agent While Attempting to Flee Nigeria

Police in Bayelsa State have arrested the prime suspect in the abduction and brutal killing of 42-year-old estate agent, Richard Ekpebu, who was murdered in July after being lured into a fraudulent land deal.

The suspect, George Idumangi, a native of Ogbia Local Government Area, was tracked down and arrested on Monday at the Immigration Office in Lagos while trying to obtain an international passport in a bid to flee the country.

Bayelsa Police Commissioner, Francis Idu, confirmed the arrest, crediting the breakthrough to painstaking intelligence work carried out by Operation Puff Adder, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo.

“After painstaking intelligence and law enforcement measures, Mr. George Idumangi, who murdered Mr. Richard Ekpebu at Bayelsa Palm, was arrested this morning in Lagos while trying to flee the country. This was achieved with real intelligence,” CP Idu said.

How the murder was plotted

Investigators revealed that Idumangi worked with accomplices, including Victor Shadrack (alias Doggy) and another man known as Insurance, to lure Ekpebu from his home before abducting and killing him to cover up a land scam.

Their alleged scheme began when Victory Benard Henry, 23, said to be Idumangi’s girlfriend, pretended to connect Ekpebu with a buyer for a piece of land. The buyer paid N9 million directly into Idumangi’s account, bypassing Ekpebu.

When the buyer demanded land documents, Ekpebu denied knowledge of the payment and warned Idumangi not to implicate him. Fearing exposure, the suspects allegedly abducted and murdered the agent on 24 July, dumping his body in a bush.

Recovered weapons and evidence

Before Idumangi’s arrest, police had earlier detained Victory in Yenagoa, recovering a pump-action rifle, five cartridges, two AK-47 magazines, 10 walkie-talkies, chargers, and rifle slings from her possession.

Idumangi narrowly evaded capture several times across Lagos—Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac, Ikeja, and Orile—before his arrest on Monday. Police also recovered his bag containing two mobile phones allegedly used in the murder and a T-shirt inscribed with “IYC Tactical Team.”

Authorities say investigations are ongoing to track down his remaining accomplices.