By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Anambra State Police Command has arraigned two young men before a High Court sitting in Onitsha over the alleged recent murder of a trader, Mr. Ikechukwu Simon Nwite and the theft of millions of naira belonging to the him. The suspects have been remanded in prison custody.

Nwite, a drug dealer at the drug market (Ogbo Ogwu) in Onitsha was killed by his apprentice, 21-year-old Chiemerie Anieke with a pestle for allegedly reprimanding him for stealing monies in the shop and returning home late.

Information had it that after Nwite’s sister told him that his brother (the deceased) gave instruction that he should be locked out for returning home late, he sneaked behind the kitchen door with a pestle waiting for his boss to return and immediately he came home and entered the kitchen, he hit him on the head with a pestle and he slumped to the floor.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement made available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday said that the suspects were arrested and prosecuted by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) after detailed investigation into the incident.

He said: "The prime suspect, Chiemerie Anieke, aged 21, allegedly murdered his employer, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwite, by striking him on the head with a pestle, an attack which reportedly resulted in the victim’s death.

"The suspect was also linked to another violent attack on the sister of the deceased, one Ms. Ogechukwu Nwite, at the Fegge area of Onitsha.

"The prime suspect was arraigned before the High Court, Onitsha, alongside another suspect, Godwin Nnabuike Nwokporo, also aged 21, who was alleged to have aided the crime by providing a bank account through which more than eight million naira belonging to the deceased was fraudulently transferred after the killing."

According to him, the investigations revealed how the funds were moved shortly after the incident, prompting the police to track the financial transactions, which led to the arrest of the suspects.

The Police spokesman further disclosed that operatives of the Command successfully recovered the sum of six million naira (N6,000,000) from the suspects, being part of the money allegedly stolen from the late businessman.

He explained that the recovered cash has been tendered as exhibit before the court as part of the ongoing prosecution of the case.

The statement added: "Following the arraignment of the suspects on March 18, 2026, the court ordered that they be remanded at a correctional facility pending the continuation of trial and further legal proceedings.

Ikenga further reaffirmed the resolve of the Command to tackle crime across the state and warned members of the public against engaging in criminal activities, stressing that offenders will always be tracked down and brought to justice.

He added: "The Anambra State Police Command reiterates its commitment to ensuring that justice is served and warns individuals against engaging in criminal activities, noting that the long arm of the law will always catch up with offenders."