A 30-year-old man identified simply as Leberechi has allegedly murdered his apprentice, a 25-year-old man, and concealed the dismembered body inside a refrigerator in his house at Okpoko, in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Leberechi, a spare parts dealer at the Mgbuka Spare Parts Market, located along the Onitsha-Owerri Road, was said to have gone home with the apprentice after the close of market on Saturday on the guise of going to make a payment for some goods he bought from him.
Eyewitnesses in the market said the suspect allegedly killed the apprentice in his room, dismembered the victim’s body parts, and concealed them in a refrigerator.
A source said, “The boy was an apprentice in the market. The suspect bought an item from him on Saturday and asked him to follow him home to collect the money. On Monday, the market did not open due to the sit-at-home closure, but on Tuesday, we did not see the boy.
“When confronted and interrogated over the whereabouts of the boy, the suspect displayed some suspicious moves. Following the interrogations, some people in the market took him for a search in his house, where they found the dismembered body parts of the victim in a refrigerator in his apartment.
“He was brought back to the market and was about to be lynched by a mob before the intervention of police officers. The police have also sealed the house where the incident took place.”
The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the development in a press statement released on Wednesday, said the suspect was later rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police Command operatives attached to the Okpoko Division on September 2, 2025, rescued a suspect from an attempted jungle justice after he was alleged to have murdered a 25-year-old male and concealed the victim’s dismembered body inside a refrigerator at Okpoko.
“The suspect, later identified as Leberechi, other names unknown, and about 30 years of age, was already in an unconscious state before he was arrested.
“He was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention and is currently under armed guards to prevent escape.
“The operatives visited the scene of the murder and discovered the decomposed body parts of the victim hidden inside a refrigerator. The remains were subsequently evacuated to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”
According to him, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed an immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for a thorough investigation and to ensure that justice is served in accordance with the law.
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