The Bayelsà State Ministry of Justice has taken over the prosecution of the alleged killers of the 42 years old Estate Agent, Richard Ekpebu.
The Police,m tactical team of the Operation Puff Adder led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo had in 2025 arrested the killers of the Estate Agent following painstaking thorough investigation in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa, the Bayelsà State capital.
Senior Litigation Officers from the State Ministry of Justice confirmed to our correspondent that the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) had last year directed the police to hand over the case file for immediate study and prosecution.
The office of the DPP headed by Barr. Peretimi Judith Peterside, according to security sources, is studying the voluminous case file handed over to the justice ministry by the Operation Puff Adder of the State Police Command.
It was learnt that among those expected to be prosecuted include the alleged key suspect, 40 George Idumange 40, his girl friend, Miss Henry Victory Bernard 23, a Correctional Centre Warden with the rank of ASP equivalent, Ekiamene Amaoniye Alex also known as Cash Money, one 34 year old Ibo Imaremi Gold alias Police and 35 year old,Henry Igwe.
Though the charges being filed against the five accused have not been made known but the various levels of involvement of the accused will determine their charges.
Sources familiar with the case claimed that the accused may be charged for conspiracy to kidnapping, kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Conspiracy to commit murder, Murder, Conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence, Conspiracy to destroy evidence, destroying evidence, Illegal possession of firearms among others.
It will be recalled, the Bayelsa State Command of the Nigerian Police had in September 2025 paraded a suspect, George Idumangi, accused of killing a 42-year-old estate agent, Richard Ekpebu, in Yenagoa.
Operatives of Operation Puff Adder of the Bayelsa State Police Command and Nigerian Immigration Office, Festac Town, Lagos rejected a bribe of N4 million from George Idumangi, who has been arrested for the murder of Richard Ekpebu, a Bayelsa estate agent.
Idumangi allegedly offered the N4 million bribe to immigration officers so they would not hand him over to the police, and later offered the police N3 million to delete a certain file from his phone.
Late Richard Ekpebu was allegedly murdered over a land deal and his body dumped in a bush along the New Otuoke Road near Bayelsa Palm on July 24, 2025.