Police Thank Bayelsians, Over The Arrest Of George Idumangi, The Suspected Killer Of Mr Richard Ekpebu. By Chris Mark
Police Thank Bayelsians, Over The Arrest Of George Idumangi, The Suspected Killer Of Mr Richard Ekpebu.
The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Police Command, CP, Francis Idu said the command has a digital signature of Mr George Idumangi,the prime suspect of the killer of a 42 years old Estate Agent, Richard Ekpebu.
Briefing newsmen at the Bayelsa State Police Command Headquarters Yenagoa. The Bayelsa State Commissioner said that the killer relocated to Lagos and swapped his phone to conceal his location, as well the money he killed for was with him.
He added ” His girlfriend tried to pack out from where she’s living and luckily and happily for us she’s under the raider and we didn’t want to disturbed her until we have our hands on George but she was running away, we have no choice than to get her into the bracket and you will be shocked that other homicide have begin to pop up on him.”
“Our grounds of allegations are consolidated, buffets of evidence have been gathered and sequences are been done so that it will be presented tastefully before the judge, we are not going to give any judge assignment, we are coming with collaboration, real evidence and even with substantial evidence that’s relevant on this matter.”
Disclosing further on how Idumangi was tracked and arrested, he said “the phone was re- allocated to a lady that works in the bank, who innocently procured the phone from a phone swap shop in computer village Ikeja.
According to him “We put instruments to mobilize police in Lagos and links to Mr George was established through the phone she bought from the shop.There were hiccups at the estate where he was staying because it was a gated estate. However, with the professional conduct of the team that left here with the married efforts of the police in Lagos using their expertise with Immigration to fastrack investigation, he was apprehended.”
“He was hiding with his squad and it was difficult to access them, until we were able to get them through the person that dry clean clothes for them. Through the dry cleaner, we were able to link up Mr George who tried to conceal his crime but the good people of Bayelsa helped us to format the arrest.”
“I want to thank people in sensitive corridors who helped us with the transaction pattern and with the amount of money he collected.
He said it was difficult for the people who paid the money because the first suspicion was on them adding that “they were brought for review but an honest citizen will always be an honest citizen.
“They cooperated from the beginning to the end. I want to use this opportunity to thank the people of Bayelsa, the Government and my Inspector General of Police, who always gives us the courage and the technical point to ensure that where the legs are getting dull, he will offer us a life line from the technical unit of the police.”
He disclosed that Mr George Idumangi, acted with his girlfriend adding that his friend ( Richard Ekpebu) trusted him and he butchered the trust.
It would recall that Operatives of the tactical squad of the Operation Puff Adder of the Bayelsa State Police Command arrested the suspected killer of 42 years old Estate Agent, Richard Ekpebu.
The deceased Estate Agent, Richard Ekpebu, was abducted and murdered on the 24th of July,2025 with his body dumped in a bush along the new Otuoke road near Bayelsa Palm.
The suspected killer Identified as George Idumangi, hails from Ogbia Local Government area and claim to be a member of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) worldwide. He was arrested in Lagos while attempting to procure an International Passport at the Immigration office.
It was gathered that following complaints and petition by the Family of the deceased Estate Agent over the alleged delay in the investigation, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Idu ordered that the case be transferred to the Operation Puff Adder headed by Commander Chris Nwaogbo.
Police sources confirmed that the investigation and trailing of the suspected killer took the Operatives of the Puff Adder from Yenagoa to Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac, Ikeja and Orile in Lagos State in the last one week.
The Police Commissioner also displayed some ammunition recovered from two persons whom, he disclosed ran into the state to take refuge and to probably cause trouble.
He said:” We are also parading the arms and ammunition that got into Bayelsa. Citizens also alerted us because of the suspicion of those characters within the domain.The ammunitions are not normal ammunitions. If you are not in the military, you won’t understand the velocity of those ammunitions.”
“Somebody ran away from the heat of battle in the North West and he wanted to associate himself within this environment and luckily, watchful Bayelsans especially Yenagoa citizens who trusted that we will respond to the distress call informed us and the suspect was taken into custody after a search was conducted on him.”
“I want to state clearly that Yenagoa has enveloped into peace and people want to live peacefully here and I will continue to say that insecurity in the Niger Delta is like a tiger having its head in Bayelsa. And whenever you see any other thing in the South South, it is like a tail of the tiger.”
“In the Niger Delta domain, we should bruise the head of the tiger to de accelerate insecurity in this zone.What we have done here is that we have been able to use our technical aid to geofence this corridor to be able to map out places of concern and use the corridors to defile people from establishing camps within this place.”
“I want t assure you that Bayelsa State will remain peaceful and my brothers in other security agencies are always available and ready to partner with me to deal with situations that will helps us to hold down the head of the tiger in this place.”
He said: “Our duty is to keep criminals people far away from where people reside. Be rest assured that the Governor has given us approvals to deal with crime and criminality decisively in this state.”
