Police Arrest Five Over Murder Of Anambra Community Leader, Allege Restricted Veterinary Sedative Used

The Nigeria Police Force has alleged that a restricted veterinary sedative was used in the killing of Emmanuel Nwanneniya, a former chairman and land agent of Ikem Nando Community in Anambra State, following what investigators described as a prolonged dispute over community land proceeds.

The Force, in a statement on Monday, said operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad (STS) arrested five suspects over their alleged involvement in the murder after a directive from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

According to the police, investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly procured S.P.L. Ketamine Hydrochloride 500mg/10ml, a restricted veterinary sedative, and used it in carrying out the crime.

Police said the investigation also uncovered evidence suggesting a wider conspiracy linked to a lingering dispute over the management of proceeds realised from the sale of community land.

According to investigators, the money realised from the land sales was shared among the three clans in Ikem Nando Community, with one of the clans receiving about N39 million.

The statement said the community resolved through a majority decision that the funds should be invested in the construction of a community hall and other development projects.

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“However, police said opposition soon emerged from another faction, leading to prolonged disagreements, hostility and repeated threats against those who supported the project.”

The Force said the dispute escalated as several respected members of the community allegedly became targets of intimidation, adding that reports of kidnapping threats against elders and community leaders had earlier been made to the police.

“Some of the suspects were invited for questioning and statements were obtained before they were released. Investigators, however, alleged that rather than bringing peace to the community, the hostility intensified and eventually culminated in the murder of Emmanuel Nwanneniya,” the statement said.

Police alleged that the suspects lured the deceased under the pretext of discussing the purchase of a large expanse of land.

According to investigators, Nwanneniya honoured the invitation believing he was meeting genuine buyers, but was allegedly overpowered at gunpoint, restrained and injected several times with the restricted sedative before being forced to surrender access to his mobile phone and banking applications.

The police said the victim’s wife provided one of the earliest breakthroughs in the investigation after informing detectives that her husband had left home to inspect land with prospective buyers.

The statement said when he failed to return and could not be reached on the phone, she drove to the agreed meeting point where she found him lying motionless.

“Police say her statement, alongside digital evidence and intelligence analysis, helped investigators trace the suspects.”

During the parade of the suspects in Abuja, members of the victim’s community alleged that months of threats and intimidation preceded the killing.

A community leader, Chief Ejimofor, told journalists that he had repeatedly received threats of abduction because he supported the decision to channel the land proceeds into community development projects.

He described Nwanneniya’s killing as a tragedy that had left residents living in fear.

The Community Youth Leader, Ikechukwu Onagor, also called on the police to investigate the death of his brother, which he alleged was connected to the same land dispute.

The police, however, said the separate case remains under active investigation and that no conclusions have been reached.

Speaking during the parade, the Coordinator of the Special Tactical Squad, ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, described the operation as another success for intelligence-led policing.

He commended the operatives for their professionalism and acknowledged the support provided by the Inspector-General of Police in facilitating the investigation and arrests.

Godfrey also raised concerns over what he described as the ease with which the restricted veterinary sedative was obtained.

He urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies to strengthen oversight of controlled substances to prevent them from falling into the hands of criminals.

The Nigeria Police Force said investigations are ongoing and assured that everyone connected to the alleged conspiracy would be identified and prosecuted.

The Force added that while substantial evidence had been uncovered, all the suspects remain presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.