Bayelsa Police and Immigration Officials Reject ₦4m Bribe from Suspected Killer of Real Estate Agent
Security operatives in Lagos have arrested murder suspect George Idumangi after he allegedly tried to bribe them.
Authorities said Idumangi offered ₦4 million to immigration officers and police to avoid arrest.
Security operatives from Operation Puff Adder of the Bayelsa State Police Command and officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Festac Town, Lagos, have reportedly turned down a ₦4 million bribe offered by a murder suspect, George Idumangi.
Idumangi was arrested on Monday in Lagos when he arrived at the Nigerian Immigration Service office to collect his processed international passport. He is accused of abducting and killing a real estate agent, Richard Ekpebu, whose body was discovered in a bush in Bayelsa State on July 24, 2025.
Authorities said the arrest was made possible through a joint effort involving the Immigration Service, Operation Puff Adder, and the Area E Police Command in Lagos.
According to investigators, Idumangi initially tried to pay ₦4 million to immigration officers to avoid being handed over to the police and later offered additional sums to delete files from his mobile phone. A senior police officer in Yenagoa said the suspect also offered ₦3 million to destroy the phone before it was transferred to the Bayelsa Police Command, but the requests were rejected.
When a team from Operation Puff Adder led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo arrived in Lagos to take custody of the suspect, he reportedly repeated the bribe offer, which was again declined.
The suspect’s mobile phone and his recently acquired international passport are now in police custody, and he is expected to be transported to Yenagoa soon.
Other individuals allegedly involved in the killing include Victor Shadrack, also known as Doggy, a man identified as Insurance, and Miss Victory Benard Henry, who reportedly received ₦1 million for her part in the crime.
Bayelsa State Police Command spokesperson, SP Musa Mohammed, confirmed that Idumangi attempted to bribe officers but said the security personnel stood their ground and refused.
