KEY POINTS

• Ezeogo Francis Igwe, father of former Ebonyi Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe, was kidnapped on March 1 while heading to church.
• Police arrested several suspects who later confessed the monarch was killed a day after his abduction.
• A police raid on the kidnappers’ hideout led to a gun battle, one suspect killed, seven others arrested, and the monarch’s remains recovered.

The traditional ruler of Ndufu-Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Ezeogo Francis Igwe, has been killed by his abductors, deepening grief across the community and the state.

Igwe, who is the father of former Ebonyi State Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe, was kidnapped on Sunday, March 1, 2026, while travelling to church in his community. According to reports, the elderly monarch was intercepted by armed men riding on a motorcycle. The gunmen blocked his vehicle, forced him out, and took him away to an unknown location.

The brazen attack sent shockwaves through Ndufu-Alike and triggered immediate concern among residents, especially given the monarch’s status as a respected traditional leader in the area.

Police Launch Rescue Operation

Following the abduction, operatives of the Ebonyi State Police Command launched an intensive operation aimed at rescuing the monarch and apprehending those responsible.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the command, Joshua Ukandu, said officers deployed both intelligence and technical resources in the search for the kidnappers.

“Following the kidnapping of HRH Eze Francis Igwe on March 1, 2026, operatives of the Ebonyi State Command immediately commenced intensive operations aimed at rescuing the kidnapped monarch,” Ukandu explained.

During the operation, police arrested two suspects believed to be members of the kidnapping syndicate responsible for the crime.

According to the police, the suspects confessed during interrogation that the traditional ruler had already been killed a day after his abduction.

Investigators said the suspects admitted the monarch was murdered on March 2, 2026, barely 24 hours after he was taken away. They also volunteered to guide security operatives to their hideout and assist in locating the victim’s remains.

This revelation confirmed fears that the rescue operation had turned into a recovery mission.