The Ebonyi State Police Command on Friday, March 6, 2026, confirmed that His Royal Highness, Eze Francis Igwe, the abducted father of the immediate past Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Eric Kelechi Igwe, has been killed by his abductors.
The Source reports that Eze Igwe, the traditional ruler of Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was last Sunday ambushed and abducted by armed hoodlums riding motorcycles while on his way to a church service.
Since his abduction, the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, in collaboration with security agencies, had been making frantic efforts to locate and rescue the monarch.
However, the State Police Command spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, while confirming the monarch’s death, revealed that two suspects arrested by security operatives confessed that the royal father had been killed.
According to Ukandu, following the unfortunate abduction of the traditional ruler, the police deployed tactical and intelligence assets, which led to the arrest of two suspects.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed that the Monarch has been killed.
“They further volunteered to lead operatives to their hide out, and assist in recovering the Monarch’s remains”, the police stated.
According to the police spokesperson, the gang members opened fire upon sighting operatives approaching their camp.
“In the course of the confrontation, one of the hoodlums was neutralised while others fled the scene”, Ukandu added.
He further disclosed that seven additional suspects were later arrested, bringing the total number of suspects currently in custody to nine.
The police spokesperson added that the corpse of the murdered monarch has been recovered and deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.