…Allegedly ritually murdered by would-be husband
The decomposed remains of a missing female officer with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Josephine Cynthia Inalegwu Onche, has been found in a shallow grave in Obi, Benue State.
Cynthia, an Assistant Superintendent of Corps (ASCII), was declared missing by her family on December 20, 2019, a few days before her wedding after she was said to have gone shopping for the upcoming wedding.
All efforts to find her had failed until an informant, who allegedly saw her would-be husband ritually murder her, informed Cynthia’s family about his discovery.
The tip given by the informant, a commercial motorcyclist (“Okada” rider), led detectives to arrest her would-be husband and a herbalist, both of whom were fingered for the killing.
Approximately 17 months after she was declared missing, Cynthia, a mother of three, was found buried in a shallow grave somewhere in Obi, Benue State.
‘Cynthia, the daughter of the former Mayor of Otukpo, was found but allegedly killed and buried by her proposed husband for ritual purpose,’ a source disclosed.
‘An Okada man who knew what happened to late Cynthia Onche went to her family members and gave them the news. He led them to arrest her proposed husband who is an Igbo man, who led the police to Ogun State where they arrested the native doctor, a Yoruba man who performed the ritual at Obi local government before relocating to the South West state later.
‘The proposed husband and the native doctor have both confessed committing the crime and are presently in police custody in Otukpo,’ an impeccable source said.
The family of the late security personnel reportedly exhumed her remains and buried her on Tuesday, June 1.
When contacted for comment, the NSCDC Benue State Command’s Public Relations Officer (CPRO), ASC Ejelikwu Michael, declined to speak on the matter, saying he would at a later date.
However, an insider who pleaded anonymity, told reporters that the report was true.
Our impeccable source said the news of officer Cynthia’s demise almost one year after she was declared missing has thrown the Command into mourning again.
‘We were all hoping she would be found alive but we’re shocked to hear a few days ago that she was killed and buried. This is sad news. Officer Cynthia was a very nice woman and her death is very painful to us all,’ the insider said.
Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, DSP Catherine Anene, to confirm the report failed as she did not respond to our correspondent’s phone calls.
