Cross River Police arrest son, accomplice for mother’s death

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested two suspects, Mathias Amunde, the son of the deceased, and Emmanuel Oruru, in connection with the gruesome killing of Mrs Justina Amunde.

The suspects, who were initially at large after committing the crime, were paraded on Wednesday at the Police Command headquarters in Calabar.

The deceased, a 50-year-old woman, was brutally killed on December 24, 2024, at her residence in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State after returning from a church service.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, on December 26, 2024, the son of the victim, Mathias Amunde, reported his mother and the housemaid, Miss Fortunate Ochonu, as missing after they failed to return from a night vigil on December 24, 2024.

Ugbo revealed that investigations uncovered that Mrs Justina had been murdered by her biological son, Mathias, with the assistance of his accomplice, Oruru, and one Henry Abang, alias Wacott, who is currently at large.

“The investigation revealed that on the night of December 24, 2024, the suspects gained access to Mrs Justina’s residence and hid in the kitchen, awaiting her return from the church. After killing the victim, they wrapped her body, threw it into a well, and fled with her mobile phone. The housemaid, Miss Fortunate Ochonu, managed to escape from the attackers.

“A manhunt was launched for the suspects, which led to the arrest of Mathias Amunde and Emmanuel Oruru. Both suspects have since confessed to the crime.

“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Calabar for a detailed investigation and will be prosecuted accordingly. Updates on the outcome of the investigation will be communicated to the public in due course,” Ugbo stated.

Photo: (Right) Son who murdered his mother, Mathias Amunde, and his friend, Emmanuel Oruru, paraded at the Police Headquarters in Calabar.