•Victims’ bodies recovered
The entire Delta State has been thrown into shock with the news of a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, who allegedly connived with his half brother, Smart Okwuokenye, to murder one of his clients, Friday Liberty, who was on visitation and, probably, consultation on September 30, 2025.
But Liberty, aged 22, was not the only victim, as the life of a motorcycle rider who took him to the herbalist’s shrine, one Isioma Ugbeje, was also truncated.
Before meeting his untimely death, Liberty was said to have frequented Amechi’s shrine allegedly for charms to hypnotise some people to get money from them.
However, tables were turned on him when he was held hostage along with the commercial motorcyclist with whom he rode during a visit to the herbalist.
This bizarre but true incident was disclosed in a statement by the Delta State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, on Sunday, October 26.
Thenewsbearer learnt that Liberty’s family, who initially didn’t know what happened but started looking for him when they didn’t see him, was informed by his girlfriend that she overheard a conversation between the missing young man and a certain herbalist. She advised that they should reach out to the said herbalist.
The PPRO explained: “The family contacted the herbalist, who denied seeing Liberty, but promised to do some spiritual incantations so that he would return alive.
“Having given money to the herbalist with no result forthcoming, the family then reported the matter at Agbor Area Command via a petition on October 14, 2025.
“This decision proved to be the turning point in the case as the Area Command detectives embarked on an intelligence-led investigation.
“During the course of the investigation, the detectives uncovered the last person whom Friday Liberty contacted, and found out it was the same herbalist who denied knowing his whereabouts.
“Surveillance was laid around his shrine at Owa-Alidima in Ika North East Local Government Area for days, until he was arrested on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in his shrine while hiding inside a refrigerator.”
The PPRO continued: “Upon arrest of the herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, aged 20, he confessed that both he and his half brother, Smart Okwuokenye, aged 26, kidnapped Liberty and a motorcycle rider identified as Isioma Ugbeje, who brought him to the shrine.
“He further stated that Liberty had been his long-time customer who frequently visited him for charms to hypnotise clients so they could give him money easily.
“The herbalist said his elder brother approached him that he needed money and advised him to lure any of his clients so they could kidnap him and ask for ransom, and the unlucky person they could lure was Liberty Friday.
“They kidnapped Liberty and the okada rider and demanded a ransom of N10 million. When they noticed that the plan was not working, they murdered him and the motorcycle rider and dumped their bodies in a pit by the shrine.
“Suspects are in custody, and the remains of the victims have been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.”
Edafe said that the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, has assured the public that the command would ensure that justice is served on the case.
