The Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad (STS) has uncovered what investigators describe as the alleged use of a restricted veterinary sedative in the murder of former Chairman and land agent of Ikem Nando Community in Anambra State, Emmanuel Nwanneniya, as police continue to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The discovery followed an intensive investigation ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, which resulted in the arrest of five suspects allegedly connected to the crime.
Speaking during a police parade in Abuja, the Coordinator of the Special Tactical Squad, ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, said investigators established that the suspects allegedly procured S.P.L. Ketamine Hydrochloride 500mg/10ml, a restricted veterinary sedative, and used it during the commission of the offence.
According to the police, the investigation also revealed an alleged conspiracy linked to a protracted dispute over the management of proceeds from the sale of community land in Ikem Nando.
Investigators said disagreements arose after members of one of the community’s three clans reportedly received about ₦39 million from the land sale. While a majority of residents resolved that the funds should be invested in constructing a community hall and other development projects, another faction allegedly opposed the decision, resulting in prolonged hostility and threats against those supporting the initiative.
Police alleged that the suspects lured Nwanneniya to a meeting under the guise of negotiating the purchase of a large expanse of land. Upon his arrival, he was allegedly overpowered at gunpoint, restrained and injected multiple times with the veterinary sedative before being forced to surrender access to his mobile phone and banking applications.
The investigation gathered momentum after the victim’s wife alerted police that her husband had left home to inspect land with prospective buyers but failed to return. She later found him lying motionless at the agreed meeting point, while digital evidence and intelligence analysis subsequently helped investigators trace the suspects.
Community leaders who attended the police parade alleged that several elders had received threats in the months preceding the killing because they supported the use of the land proceeds for community development.
ACP Godfrey described the arrests as another success for intelligence-led policing and expressed concern over the alleged ease with which the restricted veterinary sedative was obtained. He called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies to strengthen oversight of controlled substances to prevent them from falling into criminal hands.
Police said investigations remain ongoing to identify all individuals connected to the alleged conspiracy, while emphasising that the five suspects remain presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
