Authorities in Delta State have uncovered a tragic case involving the murder of a 22-year-old Point-of-Sale operator, Onoriode Bethel, whose whereabouts had been unknown since December 2024.
The manager of Century Home Hotel, located in Owehlogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area, has confessed to the crime.
Identified as Iboirode, he admitted to inviting Bethel to the hotel under the pretense of resolving a financial disagreement, only to end her life and bury her body within the hotel compound.
This revelation was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
“He lured the victim into the hotel, murdered her, and buried her body inside the premises,” Edafe stated.
Investigations revealed that the murder stemmed from a dispute between the suspect and Bethel.
She had accused him of using a fake bank alert to fraudulently obtain N10,000. Although she reportedly recovered the money, the suspect allegedly felt humiliated and sought revenge.
Adding to the chilling details, the suspect’s wife also admitted knowledge of the incident.
She said her husband had called Bethel into the hotel one evening and later confessed to her around midnight that he had killed the young woman.
Further reports indicated that after the murder, the suspect used Bethel’s phone to contact her father and demand ransom.
He also accessed her POS terminal after forcing her to reveal the password before taking her life.
“After killing her, he used her mobile phone to call her father for ransom and withdrew money through her POS device,” Edafe explained, confirming that Bethel’s remains have now been recovered.
Bethel’s case resurfaced during investigations into another murder involving a guest, Pastor Sunday Ogofohta, leading to the arrest of Iboirode and other hotel employees in March 2025.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and have vowed that those responsible will be held accountable.