Operatives of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in FESTAC, Lagos, and officers of Operation Puff Adder, Bayelsa State Police Command, have rejected a ₦4 million bribe allegedly offered by a murder suspect, George Idumangi.
Idumangi, accused of killing a 42-year-old estate agent, Richard Ekpebu, was arrested on Monday at the FESTAC Immigration office while attempting to collect his international passport.
Joint Security Operation
His arrest followed weeks of coordinated investigations between the Bayelsa Police Command and Lagos State security agencies. Operation Puff Adder had earlier alerted Immigration and Area E Police Command, FESTAC, about the suspect’s moves to evade capture, leading to his eventual arrest.
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According to security sources, Idumangi first offered officers ₦4 million to avoid being handed over to the Bayelsa Police. He also attempted to negotiate ₦2 million to delete incriminating files on his phone or ₦3 million to destroy the device entirely. All offers were firmly rejected.
When CSP Chris Nwaogbo and his Operation Puff Adder team arrived in Lagos to take custody of Idumangi, he reportedly repeated the bribery attempt, which was again turned down. His passport and mobile phone are now in police custody.
Murder of Estate Agent
Idumangi, a native of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa and a member of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), was accused of conspiring with others to abduct and murder Ekpebu on 24 July 2025. Ekpebu’s body was later discovered in a bush along the Otuoke Road near Bayelsa Palm.
Others implicated in the crime include Victor Shadrack, also known as “Doggy”; a man identified only as “Insurance,” said to be an IYC member and Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) beneficiary; and Miss Victory Benard Henry, Idumangi’s girlfriend from Akwa Ibom.
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Victory, described by investigators as the group’s armourer, allegedly received ₦1 million for her role. She was arrested in Yenagoa within eight days of the operation. Police recovered weapons from her, including a pump-action gun, live cartridges, empty AK-47 magazines, walkie-talkies, and rifle slings.
Manhunt and Recovery
Investigations also traced Idumangi’s movements across Lagos — Lekki, Ikorodu, FESTAC, Ikeja, and Orile. Although he escaped several raids, officers recovered a bag belonging to him containing two mobile phones and an IYC tactical team T-shirt.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect will soon be transferred to Yenagoa for further investigation and prosecution.
