Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has announced the arrest of two suspected killers of a former staff of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Cletus Onyekwele, through forensic technology.
Onyekwele was killed in his office on April 13 around the Industrial Area of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Rumuobiokani, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
After the incident, the police had been on the investigation to unravel the killers of the deceased, who is a contract staff of SPDC.
Addressing journalists friday in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Zaki, disclosed that the arrest of the duo was made possible only through the use of forensic technology.
The Commissioner of Police, who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Magaj, stated that a total of 51 staff members of SPDC were invited for questioning during the investigation earlier, but that no result was recorded till the command adopted the use of technology.
He said particles picked from the scene of the murder were sent as exhibit to a forensic laboratory where the result that was released had the DNA of one Kingsley Nwankor, a staff of MB&C Investment Ltd., a sub-contracting firm to SPDC.
He, however, stated that the technology would be employed in the investigation of controversial murder cases in the state.
Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Nwankor told newsmen that it was his friend Francis that murdered Onyekwele.
Nwankor said: “It is my colleague Francis that murdered him. Francis told me to follow him to discuss work with him (Cletus). We work for Cletus. Francis is my own supervisor.
“When we got to Cletus office they (Cletus and Francis) greeted and Francis started telling Cletus about work and Cletus grew angry and tried to slap Francis, but Francis dodged and he (Francis) used stick and hit Cletus.”
