Operatives from the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Delta State Police Command, have apprehended a key suspect in the murder of retired High Court judge, Justice Ifeoma Okogwu.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, announced the arrest in a statement provided to journalists in Warri on Sunday.

According to Edafe, “On December 6, 2025, operatives, acting on intelligence, arrested one Godwin Mngumi, 25, the security guard who allegedly murdered Justice Ifeoma Okogwu.”

The suspect was apprehended in Anambra State, where police recovered the deceased judge’s phone from him. Edafe further revealed that Mngumi confessed to inviting his friend, Nnaji Obalum, along with another suspect who remains at large, to the house where the crime was allegedly committed.

“Nnaji Obalum has also been arrested, while the manhunt for the third suspect is ongoing,” the PPRO added.

Justice Ifeoma Okogwu, a former judicial officer born in Asaba, was found dead under disturbing circumstances on Sunday night, November 23, at her home located behind The Pointer Newspapers in Asaba. Her murder has caused significant tension in the state capital.

Investigations revealed that her attackers bound her hands and feet and ransacked the house, suggesting a violent and targeted assault. Following the murder, the night security guard assigned to the residence disappeared, raising suspicions of possible internal complicity.

Ogbueshi Okogwu, the victim’s brother, expressed his shock, stating, “My eldest sister was murdered in her house on Sunday night. We only received news of her death on Monday morning, so we presume the incident occurred overnight. A significant red flag is the disappearance of the night security guard. The morning guard claimed he found the gate wide open upon arrival. He said he simply sat there. Sat there doing what? I do not know. I do not understand this situation at all.”

Okogwu added that the family has provided the police with details about the private security company that employed the guards. He stated that the police detained the morning guard and summoned the owner of the security firm for questioning.