The Imo State Police Command has arrested 40-year-old Uchenna Okpara for allegedly stabbing his inlaw, Uchenna Unakalamba, to death over a dispute involving their children.
The state police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement in Owerri yesterday.
Okpara was alleged to have stabbed his inlaw to death on Thursday with a broken bottle following a dispute involving his children and those of Unakalamba in Ubomiri, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state, reports The PUNCH.
According to Okoye, the operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit arrested Okpara and recovered the weapon.
The statement read, “The anti-kidnapping arrested a 40-year-old man, Uchenna Okpara, on January 16, 2025, for allegedly stabbing his in-law, Uchenna Unakalamba, to death. The incident occurred in Ubomiri, Mbaitoli LGA, following a minor dispute involving their children. Okpara reportedly attacked Unakalamba with a broken bottle after the argument escalated.
“Responding to a distress call, police operatives apprehended the suspect and recovered the weapon.”
Meanwhile, the corpse of Unakalamba has been deposited at the morgue as the police PRO stated that the victim was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the suspect remained in custody pending the conclusion of investigations and subsequent prosecution.
In a related development, the Imo State Police Command has arrested one Ozioma Dike and dismantled their alleged notorious kidnap syndicate in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area.
Okoye said operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit following credible information, stormed a forest in Agwa where they engaged in a shootout with the kidnap syndicate on Thursday.
He said, “The operation, which took place in a forest near Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area, led to the arrest of one suspect, Ozioma Dike, after an exchange of gunfire. Other members of the syndicate fled into the bushes.”
The police spokesperson stated, “Recovered from the suspect were a pump-action rifle loaded with seven live rounds of ammunition and an iPhone belonging to a victim who had been kidnapped on January 8, 2025, in Ubomiri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being part of a group responsible for several kidnappings in Ubomiri, Ogbaku, and Ohii communities within Mbaitoli LGA.”
Furthermore, he said efforts were ongoing to nab the other fleeing members of the kidnap syndicate, saying, “While Dike remains in custody. He is expected to be arraigned in court after the conclusion of the investigation.”
Okoye assured the people of the police commitment to eradicate kidnapping and other criminal acts within the state and maintain peace and security.
He disclosed the readiness of the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, to sustain peace and combat violent crimes throughout the state.
