The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 20-year-old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye, and his stepbrother, Smart Okwuokenye, over the shocking abduction and brutal murder of two young men in Owa-Alidima, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State.

The victims — Friday Liberty, 22, and a commercial motorcyclist, Isioma Ugbeje — were allegedly killed and their mutilated remains dumped inside a septic tank near the suspects’ shrine.

According to the command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, the suspects later turned around to demand ransom from the families of their victims, pretending the men were still alive.

Edafe said the herbalist was arrested on October 23, 2025, after days of surveillance, “while hiding inside a refrigerator in his shrine at Owa-Alidima.”

“The decomposing bodies of the victims were exhumed from the septic tank, while the families of the deceased are demanding justice,” Edafe stated.

He said during police investigations, it was revealed that the late Friday Liberty had been a regular client of the suspect, often seeking his “spiritual assistance” for rituals allegedly aimed at influencing others for financial gain.

“However, on September 30, 2025, Liberty visited the herbalist’s shrine — a visit that turned fatal, as he (Liberty) failed to return home. This prompted the family to launch a frantic search, and there was a breakthrough when his girlfriend revealed hearing a conversation linking him to the herbalist.

“Confronted by the family, Amechi denied seeing the victim but deceitfully offered to perform ‘spiritual incantations’ to bring him back, collecting money in the process.

“Frustrated by the lack of results, the family petitioned the police at the Agbor Area Command on October 14, 2025, following which detectives began an intelligence-led investigation that exposed a web of deceit and horror.

“Upon his arrest, the young herbalist confessed to the crime, admitting that he and his 26-year-old brother lured Liberty and the motorcyclist to the shrine under the pretence of performing rituals.

“The duo kidnapped both men, demanding ₦10 million as ransom, but when the ransom failed, they killed the victims, butchered them, and dumped their remains in a soakaway pit beside the shrine.

“He confessed that his brother had pressured him for money, and together they decided to kidnap one of his clients. Friday Liberty was the unlucky target,” Bright Edafe disclosed.

He assured the public that justice would be delivered swiftly, saying, “This is a barbaric and senseless act. The Command will ensure that the culprits face the full weight of the law.”

The remains of the victims have been evacuated and deposited at a mortuary for autopsy, while the suspects remain in police custody.