A CBN man’s strange death

A PAIR of black slippers, a wrist watch, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  identity card number 14749, an ATM card and a CBN business card. These are all that are left to identify a man whose family members reported missing.

Also displayed yesterday in Abuja were his belt and pieces of the last shirt he wore.

The grim truth is that Mr. Michael Iorkohol is dead, allegedly killed by two suspects – Alfred Leonard and Samson Agbo – who were paraded by the police yesterday.

The late Iorkohol’s business card shows that he worked in the Internal Audit Department of the CBN. This could not be immediately confirmed last night.

Iorkohol, according to the police, was initially reported missing by his family members before his body was found in Piyako community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The items were recovered during investigation into Iorkohol’s death.

The FCT Police Command also paraded 47 other suspects for their alleged involvement in armed robbery, car snatching and other sundry crimes.

FCT Police Commissioner Bala Ciroma said: “The Command has recorded another milestone in its fight against crime, with the arrest of one Alfred Leonard; 29 years and Samson Agbo, 37, who conspired and murdered one Michael Iorkohol 47 years.

“Initially, the family reported a case of a missing person at Karu Division on 17th July, 2018 at about 1930hrs but during investigation, we got to know that principal suspect, Alfred Leonard, was the last person seen with him.

“Following the circumstances surrounding his mysterious disappearance, Leonard who was last sighted with the deceased was arrested in Kaduna after discreet investigation.

“The suspect confessed during interrogation that he conspired with one Samson Agbo to murder the deceased whose body was recovered from the bush at Piyako Community.”

Narrating his involvement in the murder, Leonard said: “Mike was somebody who was sick and I was treating him for eight months. I was giving him medicine because he had a bulging stomach.

“He told me that he was in secret society and begged me not to tell his family members about it. They know me in his family. I advised him to go back to the society and return whatever belonged to them.

“He also told me that they had given him an hour to die on Sunday and he would die. He begged me to kill him but I declined because I am a Jukun by tribe and it is a crime to kill in my place.

“My friend Agbo was there when everything transpired. Mike asked my friend to scratch his back, saying if he didn’t, and the hour given to him to die passed that his daughters would also die.

He added: “I did not kill Mike with my hands.  Mike begged to be killed. I did not kill him with my hand. I told him to die by himself.  I opted to take him home. Mike then told my colleague that he should scratch his back and once blood came out, he would die.

“We only helped him. We didn’t kill him because we wanted anything from him. My friend scratched his back and he died.”

Among the others also paraded were Kolawole Akin, Rasheed Kareem and Isah Ibrahim who the police said disguised as journalists to access major events venues in Abuja where they steal phones and other valuables from dignitaries.

They were arrested at a church in Asokoro, Abuja where they were picking pockets, the police said.

The Police chief said: “On the 11th August, 2018 police operatives arrested three suspects who usually disguised as journalists to steal cash, phones and other valuables from the public gatherings.

“The suspects who operate mostly at worship and event centres where you have large gathering of important personalities were arrested at a Church in Asokoro.”

One of the suspected fake journalists, Akin, said: “I work with African Peoples Voice. We were on our way to Asokoro to pick something from a friend when we noticed cars parked with a big crowd in front of the church.

“We went in and disguised as journalists. We go to such gatherings like that to steal but I didn’t steal on that day. It was my friend that picked things from people’s pockets and bags.

“We normally go to such gatherings to pick pockets because people don’t suspect that journalists would steal.”

The CP said the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.