Four Arrested for Killing Friend Over Land Scam in Anambra

The Anambra State Police has found out about the murder of a 56-year-old man, Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area. This happened just two days after his wife reported him missing.

In a statement released on Friday, the police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the main suspect, 32-year-old Ifeanyi Nwankwo, a friend of Madu, confessed to planning the murder. He also hired two other people to carry it out.

Ikenga explained that the investigation showed the suspect took money from Madu falsely. He pretended to help Madu get a piece of land. Then he hired two others to kill him to hide the fraudulent act and keep the money.

Madu’s wife reported him missing on August 18, 2026. He had left home on the evening of August 17 and did not return.

After the report, police officers, along with local vigilante members and Madu’s family, started searching for him. Later that evening, the distressed wife returned to the police with bad news. She said they found her husband dead in a bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu, in Oyi Local Government Area.

The statement said: "The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of a 56-year-old man, Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area of the State.

"The revelation followed the arrest of his friend, Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, 32 years old, who allegedly confessed to plotting the murder and engaging two others to execute the act.

"Following the report on August 18, 2026, from the wife of the deceased that her husband had gone out on the evening of August 17, 2026, and had not returned home, police operatives, with local vigilante members and the deceased’s family, immediately began inquiries and a search operation to find him.

"However, in the evening of the same day, the wife returned to the station in distress and reported that her husband had been found dead in a nearby bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.

"Police operatives quickly moved to the scene, where they found the deceased lying lifeless with a deep axe cut to his head. His body was later taken to the hospital for preservation.

"During the investigation, the police arrested Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, a friend of the deceased, who confessed to his role in planning and killing Mr Kelechi Madu.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect took money from the deceased under the pretense of helping him acquire a piece of land.

"To hide the fraudulent act and keep the money he got from Madu, the suspect reportedly hired two other people to kill him."

Ikenga added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, has ordered the investigation to continue. He wants to find and arrest all those involved in the murder.

"The Command is determined to ensure that every person connected to the crime is brought to justice. The Command assures the people of Anambra State that it will keep improving intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes and catch criminals so that they face the full law," he said.