A 56-year-old farmer, Henry Oyagbomwan, has been allegedly killed by five of his farm workers in Igueze village, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The incident occurred on May 13, 2025, shortly after Oyagbomwan sold pineapples worth ₦900,000. Police sources said the workers took the money, murdered the farmer, and buried his body in a shallow grave.
After the killing, the suspects contacted the victim’s family and demanded ₦60 million ransom. When the family insisted on speaking with their patriarch before making any payment, the kidnappers reduced the demand to ₦300,000, which they collected before cutting off communication.
Following a report to the police, operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit tracked one of the suspects, Bassey Uyong Umeh, to a creek in Akwa Ibom State, where he was arrested. Umeh confessed to the crime and led detectives to the burial site, where the decomposing body of the victim was recovered.
The victim’s son, Festus, said the phones of the remaining suspects have been switched off.
Edo Police spokesperson, Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident and said efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.
