Police arrest Nollywood director, guard over murder of business woman

Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

THE body of a 36-year-old business woman declared missing two weeks ago has been found, but in suspicious circumstances.

Obiageli Onakanse’s corpse was found buried upside down in a shallow grave in Asaba, Oshimili South L.G.A.

The Nation gathered that Onakanse’s corpse had ghastly head injuries while her body bore severe machete cuts.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Faleye Olaleye, said a Nollywood movie director and co-tenant of the deceased woman, Nonso Ekene, had been arrested in respect of the incident, alongside the security man, Isaac Sunday.

The deceased was said to have lived in a rented apartment with the co-tenant and gatekeeper in a four-flat building in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Asaba.

A relative of the victim, Uche, who said the deceased woman was her father’s younger sister, said the family members became suspicious when the numerous calls made to her phone went unanswered.

Uche recalled that Onakanse was discussing her marriage plans with an uncle on the telephone before she went missing.

She said her uncle became worried after repeated calls made to her phone for an update on her marriage plans went unanswered.

The Nation gathered that the deceased woman had fixed marriage for December.

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It was gathered that before her death, the late Onakanse was having problems with her co-tenant and had reported same at the GRA Divisional Police Station.

DCP Olaleye recalled that his men had stopped a black Avalon Toyota saloon car on Summit Road, Asaba on August 27. The driver of the vehicle could not provide the particulars and so was detained at the GRA Police Station.

Incidentally, a younger brother of Onakanse went to the same police station to complain that her elder sister was missing only to find the Onakanse’s car and her gatekeeper at the station.

He said the gatekeeper confessed to killing Onakanse and burying her in a shallow grave in the vast compound where she lived.

Faleye said investigation was ongoing on the matter, adding that the motive for the murder was yet to be established.

The Parish priest of St Patrick Catholic Church, Westend, Asaba, Rev. Emmanuel Ikenga, described the victim as a devout and committed Catholic.

He expressed sadness that the two weeks of uncertainty since Onakanse went missing came to an unexpected end.

He, however, took solace in the fact that the victim can be given proper burial.