A man has reportedly been arrested in Imo State over the alleged murder of his lover and the disappearance of her 16-month-old daughter, in a case that has raised fresh concerns after claims emerged linking him to a similar crime years earlier.
The suspect, reportedly from Onicha in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area, was accused of abducting the woman and her daughter on September 19, 2026. According to reports, he allegedly killed the woman, buried her body in a shallow grave and subsequently sold the toddler.
He was also accused of demanding a ransom of ₦5 million from the victim’s family during the incident.
The deceased was reportedly a widow who had been in a romantic relationship with the suspect. Her husband had died several years earlier, although details of the relationship and what may have happened between the couple before the alleged incident remain unclear.
Reports indicate that the woman’s body was later exhumed and deposited in a morgue. However, her young daughter remains missing, with concerns mounting over the child’s whereabouts and safety.
The suspect was reportedly apprehended after police investigators traced a phone number allegedly used during ransom negotiations with the victim’s family. He is said to be in police custody as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and the disappearance of her daughter.
The case has taken a more disturbing turn following claims that the suspect was previously linked to an alleged murder in 2015. According to the accounts circulating, he was accused of killing his then 25-year-old pregnant girlfriend and burying her body in a shallow grave within the same compound.
Further claims allege that he escaped from prison after the earlier case and was never recaptured. There are also reports suggesting that he may have been connected to another similar incident about four years ago, which was allegedly settled out of court.
The immediate priority remains the recovery of the missing toddler and the establishment of the full circumstances surrounding her mother’s death.
Authorities are expected to continue investigating the alleged abduction, murder and ransom demand, while further official information is needed to clarify the suspect’s past and the status of the missing child.
