By Austin Ogwuda
… also uses the PoS to contact the family of a Lagos-based Pastor also killed in the same hotel for another ransom
Crack detectives investigating the death of a Lagos-based Pastor, Sunday Ogofotha, who was found dead at Century Home Hotel, Owehlogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria, have made a great breakthrough.
Recall that both the hotel owner, Joseph Ogbole, the Manager of the hotel, Godwin Iboirode alongside two workers were arrested sometime in March over the death of a Lagos-based pastor, Sunday Ogofotha, who was found dead in the hotel after he had lodged there to attend the burial of a relative.
Giving an update over the incident the Delta State Police Command’s Spokesman Bright Edafe, on Tuesday via X-Page stated that the Manager of the hotel, Godwin Iboirode made useful confession during interrogation.
According to Edafe, “When the wife of the pastor (Ogofotha) could not reach him the next day, she called his family members to inform them that her husband expressly told her that he lodged at that very hotel.
“The family visited the hotel, but the hotel management denied that Ogofotha had lodged in the hotel. This prompted them to report to the police.
“Upon investigation by the police, it was discovered that the pastor was allegedly killed and buried in the hotel.
“The pastor had travelled from Lagos to Delta but arrived the city late and decided to lodge at the Century Home Hotel before proceeding on his journey the next day”.
“During the investigation”, he continued, “we recovered a PoS machine from the hotel manager, and he claimed that it was a lady who came and forgot the machine.
“After the investigation, the lady who went missing in December 2024 had a business transaction with the hotel manager in the sum of N10,000, which the lady claimed he transferred to her, but she did not receive the money.
“That was how their quarrel started, and according to the manager, the lady was defaming him in the community, and he swore to deal with her. The lady went to him to demand her money, but he dragged her to the back of the hotel and strangled her to death”.
During interrogation, Iboirode narrated that he was angered by the decision of Bethel to accuse him of scamming her because she did not receive the money he had transferred to her adding that when the girl (Bethel) came to demand her money, he dragged her to the back of the hotel and strangled her to death, left her body there, and used her phone to demand a ransom from her father as well as the family of the slain pastor.
His confession:
“My name is Godwin Iboirode. What brought us together is about a N10,000 transaction.
She went around to spoil my name, that I scammed her, and that was what angered me. I carried the girl into the bush. I strangled her and left her body there. I am the only one who killed her. After I killed her, I used her phone to text her father to demand ransom,” Iboirode said in Pidgin (translated).
Source: Punch
