When a Lagos High Court sitting at
Igbosere, on Thursday convicted the killers of 24-year-old model,
businesswoman and mother of one, Cynthia Osokogu, in a four-year-old
case that became known as the trial of the “Facebook killers,” many
Nigerians heaved a sigh of finality.
Igbosere, on Thursday convicted the killers of 24-year-old model,
businesswoman and mother of one, Cynthia Osokogu, in a four-year-old
case that became known as the trial of the “Facebook killers,” many
Nigerians heaved a sigh of finality.
But in the office of Dan Okoro, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Frauds Unit, Lagos, it was all jubilation.
For Okoro, the case was landmark but more importantly, it was a point of fulfilment in the officer’s 30-year career.
Four years ago, Okoro, then Assistant
Commissioner of Police in charge of Festac Area Command of the Nigeria
Police, took on the case, that took him undercover beyond the shores of
Nigeria.
Commissioner of Police in charge of Festac Area Command of the Nigeria
Police, took on the case, that took him undercover beyond the shores of
Nigeria.
Okoro
spoke with our correspondent in a telephone chat, just few hours after
Justice Olabisi Akinlade sentenced two killers of Cynthia -Okwumo
Nwabufor and Olisaeloka Ezike – and acquitted two alleged accomplices –
Orji Osita and Ezike Nonso.
spoke with our correspondent in a telephone chat, just few hours after
Justice Olabisi Akinlade sentenced two killers of Cynthia -Okwumo
Nwabufor and Olisaeloka Ezike – and acquitted two alleged accomplices –
Orji Osita and Ezike Nonso.
For some Nigerians, Okoro was simply the lead detective who effected the arrest of the suspects.
But when he spoke with our correspondent
on Thursday, beaming with pride about what an achievement the judgment
was for the force, he reminisced on some of the details of the case,
which he said he had hitherto never spoken about publicly.
on Thursday, beaming with pride about what an achievement the judgment
was for the force, he reminisced on some of the details of the case,
which he said he had hitherto never spoken about publicly.
He also spoke about the tremendous
pressure he faced to drop the case before his team could crack one of
the most shocking homicide cases handled by the police in the last 10
years.
pressure he faced to drop the case before his team could crack one of
the most shocking homicide cases handled by the police in the last 10
years.
Okoro said, “I faced a lot of pressure
while investigating the case. The pressure came from different persons I
would not like to mention but we were not deterred.
while investigating the case. The pressure came from different persons I
would not like to mention but we were not deterred.
“We had to go through a lot of risks to
ensure the investigation made a headway. I remember the day we moved
into the house of the number one suspect (Nwabufor) at 3am. He lived on
the top floor.
ensure the investigation made a headway. I remember the day we moved
into the house of the number one suspect (Nwabufor) at 3am. He lived on
the top floor.
“We
looked everywhere and there was no ladder. I had to use my men to form a
ladder and climbed upstairs and burst into his room. When you burst
into the room of a killer, you are not sure of how prepared he would be.
But it was a risk we had to take. He might have been armed and finished
everybody as soon as we burst into his house.
looked everywhere and there was no ladder. I had to use my men to form a
ladder and climbed upstairs and burst into his room. When you burst
into the room of a killer, you are not sure of how prepared he would be.
But it was a risk we had to take. He might have been armed and finished
everybody as soon as we burst into his house.
“When he left his room and moved into
the ceiling in an attempt to escape, we again took the risk of going
after him in the ceiling to get him down.”
the ceiling in an attempt to escape, we again took the risk of going
after him in the ceiling to get him down.”
Okoro was reportedly offered N15m to sweep the case under the carpet by one of the felons while he was investigating the case.
At a point in the investigation, Okoro
said he had to go undercover to Benin Republic where one of the men
arrested in the case was studying.
said he had to go undercover to Benin Republic where one of the men
arrested in the case was studying.
“I went to American International
University in Benin Republic because I was looking for a way to connect
one of the killers. I got him and brought him back to Nigeria. That was
what gave me a pointer to the main killer.”
University in Benin Republic because I was looking for a way to connect
one of the killers. I got him and brought him back to Nigeria. That was
what gave me a pointer to the main killer.”
Okoro said his investigation took him to
the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, where one of the convicts
was a 400-Level Accounting student at the time.
the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, where one of the convicts
was a 400-Level Accounting student at the time.
The police officer said he tricked one
of the men tried on the case (Nonso, acquitted) and made him come from
Port Harcourt to Lagos on his own volition without knowing he had been
speaking with a detective.
of the men tried on the case (Nonso, acquitted) and made him come from
Port Harcourt to Lagos on his own volition without knowing he had been
speaking with a detective.
Nonso was in possession of the victim’s phone at the time. He was joined in the case for selling items taken from the victim.
He said, “It was all about playing with
his psyche. I tricked him in such a way that he could not have imagined
he was coming to meet a detective.
his psyche. I tricked him in such a way that he could not have imagined
he was coming to meet a detective.
Cynthia Osokogu
“I knew that justice must be done
according to the law. Anybody who spills another’s blood must not go
unpunished. Cynthia was just an innocent girl that was tricked to Lagos
and her life was snuffled by men she did not recognise as blood
suckers.”
according to the law. Anybody who spills another’s blood must not go
unpunished. Cynthia was just an innocent girl that was tricked to Lagos
and her life was snuffled by men she did not recognise as blood
suckers.”
Okoro, whose detective work on the case
was celebrated within and outside the country, culminating in a national
honour by then President Goodluck Jonathan, said the case is an
evidence of the Nigeria Police’s sound work in investigations.
was celebrated within and outside the country, culminating in a national
honour by then President Goodluck Jonathan, said the case is an
evidence of the Nigeria Police’s sound work in investigations.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that
Okoro, who has degrees in Forensic Science, Law, Public Administration,
Business Administration and Criminal Justice Administration, was the
chairman of the police investigation panel, which recovered N111.3m
bribe money alleged to have been paid by the Rivers State Government to
officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the rerun
election last month.
Okoro, who has degrees in Forensic Science, Law, Public Administration,
Business Administration and Criminal Justice Administration, was the
chairman of the police investigation panel, which recovered N111.3m
bribe money alleged to have been paid by the Rivers State Government to
officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the rerun
election last month.