Delta Police Arrest Man for Beheading Friend Over N30m

A man in Delta State has been arrested for the brutal murder of his best friend, Paulinus Okon, after allegedly embezzling over N30 million from him.

Efe Onoetiyi, 30, was arrested alongside four accomplices following a police investigation that uncovered shocking details of the crime. The incident began when Paulinus, 34, went missing on September 8, 2024, after meeting with Onoetiyi. His family reported him missing the same day, but Onoetiyi initially denied any knowledge of his whereabouts.

The case took a sinister turn when Onoetiyi returned to the family, claiming he would consult a herbalist to help find Paulinus. He demanded N500,000 to pay the herbalist and later told the family that Paulinus had been kidnapped. Onoetiyi then convinced Paulinus’s brother to pay a ransom of over N20 million, claiming he was in contact with the kidnappers.

As suspicions mounted, Onoetiyi was arrested, and the case was handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Following a thorough investigation, it was revealed that Onoetiyi had planned the murder to cover up his theft of N30 million that Paulinus had entrusted him to invest in property.

The investigation led to the arrest of Okeimute Gaga, one of the accomplices, who confessed that Onoetiyi, along with two others, Sunday Ikpeba and Lawrence Joseph, a herbalist had lured Paulinus to a remote location near Orere River in Otokutu, where they bound him to a stake and beheaded him on the night of September 8. They disposed of his body in the river, and Joseph, the herbalist, took Paulinus’s head to his shrine in Otokutu, where it was later exhumed by the police.

The suspects admitted to sacrificing Paulinus’s head to the gods of the community, in a ritualistic act linked to the crime.

During police interrogation, Onoetiyi confessed to his role in the murder, revealing that he had misappropriated the N30 million that Paulinus had given him to purchase a house. Instead, he spent the money on land and property investments, and killed his friend to cover his tracks.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, condemned the crime, describing it as a particularly painful case of betrayal. He urged the public to be cautious about their associations, particularly during the festive season, and stressed the need for improved parenting to foster responsibility, especially among young men.

The suspects, including the herbalist, are in police custody and have confessed to their roles in the murder. Authorities have vowed to bring those responsible to justice as they continue their investigation into the case.