The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested one George Idumangi as the suspected killer of a 42-year-old estate agent, Richard Ekpebu.
The arrest was carried out by the operatives of the tactical squad of the Operation Puff Adder.
The deceased estate agent, Ekpebu, was abducted and murdered on the 24th of July,2025 with his body dumped in a bush along the new Otuoke road near Bayelsa Palm.
The suspected killer Identified as George Idumangi, hails from Ogbia Local Government area and claimed to be a member of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) worldwide.
He was arrested in Lagos State while attempting to procure an International Passport at the Immigration office.
It was gathered that following complaints and petition by the family of the deceased estate agent over the alleged delay in the investigation, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Idu ordered that the case be transferred to the Operation Puff Adder headed by Commander Chris Nwaogbo.
Police sources confirmed that the investigation and trailing of the suspected killer took the Operatives of the Puff Adder from Yenagoa to Lekki, Ikorodu, festac, Ikeja and Orile in Lagos State in the last one week where he was eventually apprehended.
The investigating police officers stormed the homes identified as his hideout in Lagos and narrowly missed him but they were able to recover his bag containing a T-Shirt with inscription IYC tactical team and two phones he was using when he killed the deceased.
The police team led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo also arrested a female friend to the alleged killer identified as 23 years old Victory Bernard Henry and recovered one pump action, five live cartridges and two empty AK 47 magazine, walkie talkie in her custody in Yenagoa.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased estate agent was contacted by the suspect’s girlfriend that there was a land for sale, and “the deceased agent linked the suspect with the potential buyer and the sum of nine million naira was paid directly to George Idumangi’s account.”
Miss Victory Benard was alleged to have benefitted the sum of one million naira for her role in the deal.
It was however gathered that trouble started when the buyer demanded for the documents of the land,” the buyer contacted the agent for the papers. And the agent asked them to meet the owner of the land as he was left out of the transaction.
He told the buyer that instead of making him aware of the transaction, they paid without his knowledge.
The deceased was told that his killer claimed he had been given the documents to the land – a claim he denied and called the suspect to warn him not to lie against him.
The suspect, in company of one Biggy, lured the deceased out of his house and abducted him before killing him,” they killed him because they wanted to cover up the lie they told the buyer that the deceased had run away with the land documents.
Police sources also informed that the land had earlier been sold to the Chief Security Officer to the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan before the suspects sold it again to another person.
Confirming the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, said “after a painstaking intelligence and law enforcement measures, Mr George Idumangi, who murdered Mr. Richard Ekpebu, at Bayelsa palm in early August, was arrested this morning in Lagos trying to flee the country.This was done with real intelligence. I am grateful to the noble people of Bayelsa and the prosperity government.”
